Changes throughout war
by Pritxka
Summary: At a time of crisis, Sesshoumaru and Rin get back together and start a new journey, one fill with battles, new territories, wonders, and many changes. Changes that will make the two have a different view of each other and of their relationship. SxoldRin
1. Chapter 1

**1) Chapter one: Last I saw you. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

Hosshimaru was reading to her son, Takahiro, in her bedchamber trying to make him fall asleep but it seemed the story was capturing the infant's attention too much, since his eyes were fixed on Hosshimaru's face instead of dropping in sleep. The room was quite peaceful, with the wind and bird tunes coming through the opened doors of a balcony that had a view to her garden and personal hot spring. The peace was interrupted when Hosshimaru gasped, grabbed her son and ran out the door. The little demon did not cry; her mother had done this other times and he was accustomed to it. She came to a stop in the stables where a silver haired demon was ordering a little kappa yokai to bring him Ah-Un. Hosshimaru called him three times with a moderate voice; on the fourth time she raised her voice a note and yelled in his mind. The demon turned around with a furious glare in his usually stoic face.

"They know." He answered irritably. Hosshimaru did not need any other explanation. She looked deep in the eyes of the lord seeing nothing but anger and perhaps a little fear.

"I'll go…"

"No."

"Do not interrupt me. If you go, they'll know how important she is and she'll be in more danger." Hosshimaru explained but the dog demon wasn't listening correctly, his mind was set on one task and only one. "Sesshoumaru listen to me! Do not go! It will only worsen the situation."

"Sesshoumaru–sama! Sesshoumaru-sama! I've brought Ah-Un. I apologize for my tardiness, milord, but the great beast wouldn't come more quickly." The two-headed dragon snort, as it was the kappa's little legs that made them go slowly. Sesshoumaru paid no mind to any of this and started walking at a quick pace toward the east gates with the dragon demon, Hosshimaru, and Jaken behind him.

_Sesshoumaru. I've warned you._

That though alone made him stopped and turned toward the demon holding his pup.

"They already know and are headed toward the village. Do not stop me again." The inu youkai turned around. "I trust you to take care of everything. I'll be back in two days." He started his walk but was stopped again by his pup's soft cry. The lord turned and put his hand on top of the silver-haired head of Takahiro. They locked gazes, the amber eyes of the demon lord softening when looking at the face of his son. "And you, make sure not to be much of an annoyance to your mother," he whispered in his ear.

"I can't make you stay, do I?" Hosshimaru asked and let out a sigh. "Well then, bring her back safe," she looked down to her son. "And you too."

"Hn," was the response of the lord. He turned and finally left through the gates with Ah-Un behind him.

Takahiro looked at the figure of his father and then to his mother who had a worried look on her face, the baby demon coo, calling her attention, who looked down to her baby. "It seems we are finally going to meet Rin. Jaken, prepare a room for the girl. " With that command the silver-haired demonness headed toward the castle once more leaving Jaken kneeling for her and speaking alone.

"Yes Hosshimaru-sama! At once, Hosshimaru-sama! Oh, she left already. Why do they always do that?" The little demon cried.

Some miles away from the castle there was a small village where a young woman with long black hair was sitting in front of her hut making flower crowns for the daughters of her friends. While her delicate hands worked, she hummed a sweet tune to amuse herself. The sunrays made her fair skin shine and in that instance she looked like a fairy from a child's tale. She was quite a sight to behold; one that did not pass overlooked by the village men. Ever since the girl turned sixteen she started receiving marriage proposals, after all she wasn't only beautiful but a strong fighter and excellent healer. From the age of eight, the girl started her studies in healing techniques. The demon slayer, Sango, as soon as she was out of her first pregnancy, taught her defensive combat. Later on, when the priestess Kagome came back from her time, the girl of eleven asked the miko to teach her how to use the bow. Now, a few months away from her twenty-first birthday, she is the must skillful single woman in the village and so it was common to see young males in her hut's door courting her, as was the case this very afternoon.

"Hello, Rin-san. How've ya been today?" asked a young man with brown hair standing near Rin, who tried not to growl since it would be impolite, but this particular villager had been quite insistent in his proposals, even though she had already said no three times.

_He's perseverant. I give him that._

"Very well Ichirou-san. How is your sister doing? Did my potion work?"

"Oh yes, yes. Would you like to walk with me?" he asked, dismissing his sister illness far to quickly.

Rin was never impolite but she was tired of him. Standing up, she cleaned and straightened her kimono. Ichirou seeing this thought she was going to accept.

"Ichirou-san. I'm going to be very clear with you. I do not want to walk with you today or any other day. I already declined your proposals, so I asked you to please stop your courting and please give me no more presents of any kind. I'm flattered, but marriage is not my goal."

Rin saw as Ichirou's face turned from surprise, to defeat, to anger. She saw as he brought his arm back to strike, but was stopped by a scream that sounded from up the road. Immediately, Rin grabbed her bow and ran toward the upper side of the village. Soon many of the villagers got out of their homes to see what was the commotion, but ran back in when they saw enormous eagle like birds flying above their heads. These weren't ordinary birds, they were eagle demons and they were viciously killing everything that moved.

The black-haired woman started shooting arrows and with the help of Kagome they were able to bring down some demons, but they were far too many. Inuyasha was about to use his Wind Scar when a strong demonic aura stopped him in his tracks.

With one strike of his sword the demon lord of the west got rid off all the lowly demons. All of the remaining villagers ran to their huts screaming 'monster,' not realizing that said monster just saved their pitiful lives.

The monk Miroku, his wife Sango, the half demon Inuyasha and the miko Kagome turned around to face Sesshomaru; only Rin, who was in shock, stayed in her position.

"Where's Rin?" the dog demon asked, but no one answered, making him to asked again with anger in his baritone voice. At his tone, Rin snapped out of her trance and turned to look at her lord.

"Se…Sesshoumaru-sama? What are y-hmph!" The dragon demon pushed the woman making her stumbled and laughed. "I've missed you too, Ah-Un," she said while patting their heads.

"What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" InuYasha asked angry, but his older brother was too busy looking at the young woman now standing in front of him. Her scent was almost the same, it was the flowery one he remembered but…more mature. Her hair, her midnight hair cascaded till her small waist and her chocolate eyes shined with happiness and innocence, and that innocence in her was what convinced him that the woman was indeed his little Rin.

_Not so little anymore._

"Sesshoumaru-sama. You-you are here! How've you been? Why do you come now? Where's Jaken-sama? Oh! I'm so happy to see you at long last, my lord!" And she truly was, for her it was the first time she had been truly happy in almost eight years.

_He hasn't changed one bit. He's as handsome as always; well, his eyes have changed, they look less…icy._

"Rin?"

"Yes, yes! It's me! Come Sesshoumaru-sama. I've some tea in my hut, if you like, and…"

"Rin." The girl had started heading toward her house but stopped walking at her lord's command. "We are leaving."

"What?!" The rest of the group yelled.

"Yes, my lord!" Answered the woman, to what her companions and friends turned surprised. Even Sesshomaru was surprised; he didn't expect this to be so easy.

"But Rin-chan, wait! Where are you taking her, Sesshoumaru? And why? And what about the attack from earlier? It seems to me, you knew it was going to happen. It can't be a coincidence that you were here when they attacked after years of not coming." Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru thought he had no duty explaining anything to the woman, but he was going to explain to Rin after all, so better to do it now or the others wouldn't leave him alone.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"The east declared war to the west three years ago. They found you are my ward and that I left you here. The attack from earlier was from them. You'll be living in the west castle now."

"Ok. I'll go pick up my things." Rin couldn't believe she was leaving the village at last. It wasn't that she was unhappy here, but she never was truly happy like when she travelled with her lord. The girl heard the others discussing something, but she was too excited to care. Rin took what was essential and most precious, almost all being Sesshoumaru's gifts. When she was done, the woman looked around her hut. It never was a home, just a resting place. Rin took some time to remember what happened here, when she lived with Kaede, when the old miko passed away and the many times she treated injured soldiers or sick people. She remembered the dinners with her friends and that was the first time she realized that she was leaving not only the village but also her dear friends, her family.

_I'll be able to visit, I'm sure, although there's this war to consider._ Rin gasped, for she realized that the village could be attacked again if the demons from the east believed her to still be living there.

"Rin." The girl turned toward her lord, who was waiting in the door for her. She had tears in her eyes, until now she hadn't realized the danger their friends could be facing. Sesshoumaru, thinking she was crying about leaving the village, was about to reassure her that she could visit when the war was over or, if she wanted, return to live here, but Rin talked first.

"The demons of the east will keep looking for me, won't they? This village will be in danger because of me."

"Do not speak such silliness. Finding those demons dead will be a clear enough message that you are within my castle."

"You think we can't handle a bunch of low lives like those? Come on, Rin!" Inuyasha said from the door.

"What InuYasha means is that you don't have to worry about us, take care of yourself and we'll be alright." Kagome explained for her mate.

Rin went to the miko and hugged her hard; she and Sango had become sort of her sisters. After saying her goodbyes and everyone reassuring her they would be fine; Rin promised to visit, mounted Ah-Un and went away into the orange colored sky following her lord once more.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! This is just the first chapter. I've finished writing this story so I promise to publish a chapter every Friday till I'm done. Please review and tell me what you think. All ****constructive**** critics are welcome. Again thank you!**

**xoxo – Pritxka**


	2. Chapter 2

**2) Chapter two: Smiles in the castle. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

After some hours, Rin and Sesshoumaru were back in the castle. The four guards at the gate bowed to their lord and welcomed him back. Far away, Rin was able to see a little person trying to keep up with a taller person pace. The little one could be no other than Jaken but the tall figure; she had no idea who was. She could distinguish white robes much like her lord's and silver hair flowing in the wind. Those two aspects made her believe that the tall person was Sesshoumaru's mother and Rin felt very grateful, since she would love to thank her for saving her life so long ago. But when the figures came closer to them, she realized she didn't know her. The woman was like Sesshoumaru in her skin color only. Her hair, although silver, was slightly curly while her lord's was straight. Her clothes were white, but instead of cherry blossoms, it had lotus flowers in purple at the crest collar and sleeves. Her face had no magenta strips and her eyes instead of gold were the most piercing green Rin had ever seen. And in her forehead, behind her bangs there was a star shaped mark, where her lord had a crescent moon.

"E…Emi?" The female demon whispered but she was heard only by the inu youkai who raised his eyebrow.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! So glad you're back so soon, milord! Everyth-hmp! Rin, stupid girl, let go! Let go! You're (cough) suffocating (cough) me!"

"Oh I'm sorry Jaken-sama! It's just that it's been many years since I last saw you!" Rin exclaimed.

"Stupid girl, it hadn't been that much, only four! Oh but of course for you weak humans four years is almost a lifetime! How weak indeed and-"

"Jaken." The demons commanded angrily.

"Oh. I'm sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, Hirosshimaru-sama!"

"Jaken, go put Ah-Un back in the stables." Hosshimaru ordered. As soon as the kappa demon left, the woman turned toward Rin and smiled delicately. "Hello, I'm Hosshimaru, second in command in the great castle of the West. It is very nice to meet you, Rin."

"It is nice to meet you too, Hosshimaru-sama. I apologize for my earlier behavior, but I truly missed Master Jaken."

Hosshimaru smiled more to Rin's politeness. "Really? I find him quite annoying most of the time."

"I know. The only time he is not annoying is when he's sleeping, although he can snore quite loudly." The female demon laughed at this, surprising Rin since she thought demons didn't laugh or express there feelings too much, but she had live only with Sesshoumaru and he was stoic almost always.

"You must be tired. Let me guide you to your bedchambers, or would you like to take a hot bath first?"

"Ummm… I wouldn't mind taking a bath if it's not much trouble." Hosshimaru only smiled.

"Hosshimaru." The female demon sighed and called for a servant to guide Rin to the hot spring.

"Ummm… yours, Hosshimaru-sama?" the fox demon servant asked.

"Of course, girl. What other?" The servant bowed and signed for Rin to follow her. Never in her life did she imagine she would end serving a human. She started a quick pace that gave Rin some problems at first, but soon she matched it.

"I'm sorry if I'm a bother," the human girl said with a sweet smile in her face but the demon's only response was quickening her pace. Soon they arrived to the garden where Hosshimaru's hot spring resides and when Rin saw it her mouth opened in a perfect O. The garden had flowers of all colors and types and a sakura tree that was in bloom, its petals falling down in the hot pool. "Wow! This is beautiful!" Rin exclaimed.

"The ointment and bathrobes are in the trunk below the tree. Ring the bell when you're done. I must clean and prepare a bath for Hosshimaru-sama, so be quick." The demon said angrily.

"Thank you. Oh wait! What's your name?" Rin asked to the retreating demon, but she ignored her and kept walking. "I said, what is your name? I know you heard me. I have a fox demon friend and his hearing is quite good." The female demon stopped and turned perplexed toward the human. Then she laughed. "What's so funny? Stop your laughing!" "

Alright, alright!"

"Why did you laugh?"

"I've worked in this castle for many, many years and no one has ever asked for my name. Now you, a human who I treated horribly, is the only kind enough being to ask for my name. It's completely ironic. I worked all day, being the most polite I can to everyone and the one time I'm not, I received kindness. My name, human Rin, is Moriko."

"Then, thank you Moriko-san, for guiding me here. And I ask you to call me only Rin, not _human Rin_."

"As you please, Rin…-san" The girl smiled and turned toward the pool, while the demon went back to her duties.

Meanwhile two demons were busy in a staring contest; one stubborn male trying to get an answer out of a stubborn female who simply refused to give into the other's desire.

"I'm not going to repeat myself again. Who is Emi?" Sesshomaru asked for, surprisingly enough, the third time.

"That is not anything of your concern," answered the female demon earning Sesshoumaru's characteristic angry growl. "I don't understand. You've never being to interest in others' affairs. Would it be that my slip was made in front of your beloved human. If that's what bothering you, believe me, her weak ears did not catch my words." The inu youkai's patience was running short, but he was never one to give up on a subject.

"You will tell me who this Emi is and why you confused Rin with her."

"Hmm. We'll see about that. Now, I'm tired of this chitchat and Takahiro needs a bath. Don't come bothering me." With that, Hoshimaru left in look of a servant to prepare hers and her son's bath and leaving an angrier demon behind.

_Let it to my mother to make Hosshimaru as annoying as herself. _

_I can't let Rin be around them much. _

Sesshomaru pondered who this Emi would be. He thought he would always asked his mother but as soon as the thought entered his mind, he discarded it. He much rather deal with Hosshimaru's stubbornness than with his mother's attitude. And speaking of the devil, there sitting in his study was say mother.

"Well, hello Sesshoumaru. What kind of son returns from no one knows where and doesn't go to his mother first? Really, I thought I raised you better than that."

"What are you doing here?"

"This is my castle, is it not?"

"This is _my _study."

"Which resides within my castle."

"This is _my_ castle."

"Really now? Are you going to throw your own mother out? My, my, running around humans have made you an annoying pup indeed. Tell me, is she your mate? Should I put an honorific at the end of her name?

"Out."

"Speak up son, you know I hate it when you talk within your teeth."

"Out!"

The inu stood up and tried her best to stifle her giggles. "How touchy." As soon as she was out, Sesshoumaru closed the shoji so hard they broke again. He wouldn't remember how many times his mother had made him broke the damn things.

Outside his study a perplexed Rin was standing looking to the mess her lord had made. She saw a very beautiful silver-haired demon leave the room where now the broken pieces of wood were. The demon did not see her, going her way, walking quickly but elegantly. Rin went after her, for she knew that was Sesshoumaru's mother and who saved her from death when she was a little girl. The male demon inside the study saw as a running Rin went after his mother and arched a silver eyebrow.

"Excuse me!" _Damn why I can't remember her name!_ "Excuse me!" _Did someone called for her name then? Should I call her, Sesshoumaru's mother?_ _Ugh, better just catch up with her._ And doing just that, Rin stopped in front of the female demon and bowed. "Excuse me, my lady. If you are not very busy, I would like to have a word with you."

"And who are you girl?"

"My name is Rin. We met-"

"Rin. Why does that sound familiar?"

"Well, my lady. We met before. I was but a little girl then. I was travelling with Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken-sama, and a friend of mine. We went to your castle because he had some questions about his sword, Tenseiga. And-"

"You are that little girl? That was not very long ago and that was but a child and you're a woman. It can't be."

"Well my lady, we humans age far faster than demons. And that was thirteen years ago."

"You are the human who came with my son? The same one who Sesshoumaru revived with that sword of his, the one I brought from death? Well and here I thought that with your luck you had surely died a third and last time."

_She doesn't know about the visits or the gifts?_ Rin thought. "Yes, my lady, the one. And for saving me that day I'm very grateful, my lady." Rin said smiling charmingly at her.

_The smile that won my son, now I get to see it._ The female demon looked up and down the human girl and concluded that his son's taste wasn't that bad. _She is quite lovely, for a human._ "Grateful, are you? Well, it was a deed any loving mother would do for her son. After all it seemed you are some special toy of his."

"Mother."

"Toy? Pardon me for contradict you, my lady, but with all given respect, I am not a toy." Rin replied still smiling somewhat, but if Kagome ever taught her something it was to stand up for herself. She knew her lord was standing some paces behind them and that she would be killed with a single movement of this woman's hand, but she was not going to be submissive to anyone. Rin expected some sort of punishment to come, but the female demon laughed.

_She's…different._ Rin arched her eyebrow, something she got form her lord, and seeing this the woman only laugh harder, seeming very unladylike at the moment.

"Tell me Rin, would you like to have tea with me?"

"What?" Sesshoumaru and Rin asked.

"Oh Sesshomaru you're here!"

_You knew I was here. _

"Let me tell you son, of all the humans you could have pick you certainly picked a very interesting one."

"Rin, come."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin exclaimed. "Can we have our tea tomorrow morning, if you don't mind, my lady? I just came from a somewhat long trip and I'm tired. It would be more enjoyable for you and me if I'm well rested for our meeting."

_Lovely and polite._ _Sesshoumaru has good taste indeed_. "Alright. We can have our tea before your morning lessons."

_Lessons?_

"Rin."

"I'm coming, my lord."

Rin followed Sesshoumaru into the room with the broken shoji. It looked like a study, with a large wooden desk full of papers and many cabinets and trunks with scrolls. There were other sets of doors at the far left of the room with a flower design and at the right of the desk, the opened windows led the night wind came in.

"Sit." Rin did as she was told and looked to her lord with a shinning smile, which made Sesshoumaru's eyes soften. He was quite impressed about the way she handled his mother. He went as far as to think that he handled her better than him and looking at the broken pieces of wood in his study's floor, he concluded that Rin indeed did better. In the hours that they were together in the journey to his castle, he came in terms with the fact that Rin aged. She was no longer the little girl that brought him flowers or sang silly songs about their journeys. Although she still was very talkative and smile at everything, her innocence and way of looking at life was intact.

_She is still Rin._

"My lord?" Sesshoumaru was staring at her and making her blush. Rin tried to look away, but after years of not seeing his face, his magenta stripes, his half-moon mark, his amber eyes, she just couldn't. _I missed him so much._

"Rin."

_And now I'm the one staring._ Rin's pink cheeks went red and her eyes looked out into the night. "Why do I have to take lessons, my lord?"

"To learn how to fight, write, read, history and the ways of the demons." Answered Hosshimaru from the door. "Really Sesshoumaru. How many times are you going to break this things?"

"Hn."

"But, Hosshimaru-sama. I already know all those things."

"Do you now?" The dog/sorceress demon asked while entering the room.

_I've been here just some hours and I want to leave again. These women._ Sesshoumaru thought.

Rin saw the cold stare her lord gave Hosshimaru and remembered the way they spoke to each other when they entered the castle. She wondered what's their relationship. _Only one way to know._ "Yes, my lady. I-"

"No. I am not the lady of this castle. I told you I'm second in command in the castle, which means I do all of the work here since Sesshoumaru is always travelling. This just proves that your knowing of the ways of demons is null."

_Not the lady. I wonder… _"I apologize Hosshimaru-sama. I know little of the culture and ways of the demons and I could always learn more of history, as well improve my writing, reading, fighting and healing skills. So I would gladly take these lessons."

"You knew about this, Sesshoumaru?"

"When my lord visited I told him I was starting my training in healing as well as defensive skills. And later on I told him in my letters about my other classes."

"You, _you,_ permitted this? How unlike you. I never thought you would permitted your ward to become a fighter, it could be a huge blow to your pride."

"I believe it would be worse if he let his ward to be an uneducated person."

_She did it again._ Sesshoumaru thought. Rin had not only spoke up to his mother but now to Hosshimaru as well. He couldn't stop his lips from turning up in a slight smirk. _She's got some backbone. _

"You really are one of a kind, Rin. Tomorrow at mid morning you will show me what have you learned in that village. I'll call a servant to take to your room." Hosshimaru stood up and leave the room leaving Sesshoumaru and Rin, at last, alone. They sat there in silence, but it was confortable. Of course, Rin couldn't go long without speaking.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" He nodded in her way to let her know he was listening. "I…umm…i it j just that-"

"If you don't speak correctly I don't understand."

Rin took a long breath and started again. "Why did you stop your visits, my lord?" She saw him looked away from her. "I'm sorry, my lord. How impertinent of me for asking. You must have been very busy with all this war. Although, you told me it started four years ago and you stopped coming to the village five years earlier. But I'm sure at the time, there were many problems coming, as Sango had taught me that when a war is about to start, the previous years many battles are held. And you mus-

"Excuse for interrupting, my lord. I come for Rin-san, to show her to her bedchambers." Moriko said from where the doors were supposed to be. Rin stood up to leave, but was stopped at the door by her lord's baritone voice.

"Goodnight, Rin." The girl with blushed cheeks turned and smiled sweetly at him.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru-sama. I hope you rest well and thank you, for everything." Before parting Rin turned her head over her shoulder and gave her lord the most lovely smile, _his smile._

**A/N: Well, there goes chapter two! Thank you for reading and for your reviews. I imagined Sesshoumaru's mother to be quite eccentric and Hosshimaru just a bit :) I just thought it would be fun to have some women making Sesshoumaru's life…difficult. Hahahahahhahha. As for the relationship between Sesshomaru and Hosshimaru, you will have to wait for future chapters to know about that and who the mysterious Emi person is… After all, we all need a little suspense in life, do we not?**

**xoxo**

**Pritxka. **


	3. Chapter 3

**3) Chapter three: The rescue plan. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

"Well then, shoot." After her tea meeting with Sesshoumaru's mother, Rin was called to the castle's fighting room. It wasn't a room at all but an enormous garden that led to the forest where the soldiers would practice against each other without bringing harm to the castle walls. There were dummies set in a line, which right now were waiting for Rin to shoot them with her arrows. Only Hosshimaru and Rin were in the room. The demon, sitting in a bench, while Rin took her stance to demonstrate her use of the bow. She took an arrow and aimed toward the far left dummy. Took a deep breath, felt the wind's direction and speed, and shot. And shot, and shot, and shot, until all of the dummies had an arrow sticking out their chests. Within seconds all of her "enemies" were injured or maybe dead, depending on how strong the demon could have been. "Hmm. Erase your smile, girl. That was an easy target as they weren't moving. Now," Hosshimaru stood up, "shoot at me."

"What?!"

"You can't possibly hit me girl and even if you do it'll only leave a scratch that will heal faster than you can shoot another arrow. Your technique and speed is good, but let's see what you can do against a demon."

"I had shot demons, Hosshimaru-sama."

"Weaklings only. Do not defy me, I'm your trainer and you will do as I said." Still Rin didn't move. "I won't be hurt. Do not preoccupy yourself with foolish thinking." The demon told her in a reassuring manner. Rin prepared herself and tried to steady her heart, after some seconds she shot. And missed. "Far too slow, Rin." She shot again and missed. After four arrows, the human girl was starting to feel tired, but she wanted to prove herself. She ran into the forest, surprising Hosshimaru who, after some seconds, went after her. _What… where is she?_ Swish. Dodge. _Hmm._ _That one almost hit. _Swish. Dodge. Scratch. _She hit me! Where is she?_ Although she was not a full dog demon, her nose could peak the human's scent. _She climbed a tree. How clever, a leverage to increase her chance at hitting and distracting her enemy._ Swish. Grab. Throw. "Ahh!" Rin almost didn't dodge the arrow sent toward her and her move made her loose her footing and fall down the tree, at the last moment she grabbed unto the branch.

"And now you are in a very vulnerable position, easy for your enemy to kill you. Drop-" Swish. Cut. Drop. Rin stood in front of Hosshimaru with her sword pointing at the demon. _She cut my kimono!_ The demon made a movement with her hand and in an instant Rin was held captive by…roots! Hosshimaru grabbed her face. "You see, little Rin, I'm not any kind of demon. My mother was an inu and my father a sorcerer demon, which made me half and half." She dropped Rin's chin and stepped back. "There are many, many types of demons in this world, from weak ones to very strong ones. I will teach all about them, their strong and weak points. You will learn how to fight correctly and until you are not able to at least make me fall, you will not leave this castle, nor to travel with Sesshomaru or do any other deed. Your lessons will start at sunrise with a recess at midday for lunch and will end at sundown. "

"Yes, Hosshimaru-sama." Rin replied. "Thank you," she said sweetly, for the girl was sure that the demon understood her will to become a stronger fighter.

"Now, sword fighting…"

And the life at the castle began. For two weeks Rin's days turned around fighting, learning and more fighting. In that time, she saw her lord only three times. The first one, when she was walking toward Hosshimaru's study. The second one when she was in the library looking at some scrolls the other woman asked her to read. And the third one was while she was dinning. At the sound of the doors opening, Rin turned her head and immediately stood up, for now she knew that when the lord of the castle or any important demon were to enter a room, she should stand and bow. The smile she showed was her own way of saying hello to her lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, would you accompany me at dinner?"

"I do not eat."

"I know, my lord, but I haven't seen you much this past days. I would appreciate your company, if you are not very busy, that is." Sesshoumaru sat down as way of answering and Rin's smile grew.

At the sound of voices, Moriko entered the room and offered tea to her lord. His response was as cold as always.

"Leave." The fox demon caught Rin's flushed cheeks, smiled mischievously, and left. The human had become some sort of friend of hers and two nights ago told her of how she met the lord of the west. _A very interesting story, that was._

The silence in the room prolonged and Rin was about to comment on the nice weather when her lord, surprisingly, spoke first.

"How have your lessons been?"

"Fantastic, my lord. I've learnt so much in so little time. Hosshimaru is an excellent teacher."

"Hnn."

"Have any other battles happened in these days?"

"Four."

"Any near the village?"

"No."

"Thank the gods. Well, it's not that I'm not concerned about other battle happening away from the village I used to live in, but I worry about my friends. I know they can protect themselves and they are strong. Well, they taught me all I know and it has helped a lot with my lessons. I know I still have lots to learn. Just the other day…" And Rin started her unstoppable chitchat. She talked about her lessons in the village, her lessons here, and, even though Sesshoumaru wasn't listening correctly, he was sure he heard something about how she helped in the kitchens because Hosshimaru was complaining that 'her tea tasted too simple' and how she taught the demons there how to do an excellent tea. "It's not that my tea is perfect or anything, but Kaede-san always complimented my tea and it seem Hosshimaru-sama liked it as well. The key is…"

How is it that she went from speaking about sword fighting techniques to speaking about tea? Sesshoumaru saw her rosy lips moved almost without drawing breath. _Somehow she is the same talkative girl, but now she speaks of fighting and history instead of flowers and clouds._

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama! I've got a letter for you, my lord." Jaken came into the room without knocking and stumbling on his staff.

"The seal of the east!" Rin exclaimed.

"And how do you know that, girl?"

"Hosshimaru-sama showed it to me this very afternoon."

Sesshoumaru grabbed the envelope from Jaken's hands and ripped it open. His eyes widened and looked in Rin's direction. It was for only a second, but Rin saw it nonetheless.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Give it here!" The letter flew from Sesshoumaru's hand to Hosshimaru's, which was standing by the door. "Those vermin!"

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama, Hosshimaru-sama, what happened?"

"How insolent! That is nothing of your concern, you-"

"Jaken."

"Little imp, go prepare my horse." Hosshimaru ordered Jaken. "Listen well Rin, you are to stay in this castle. Remember what I told in your first lesson. Do not defy me."

"But-"

"No buts, now go finish your dinner."

"I know something happened that concerns my friends. I have a right to know. Please. Sesshoumaru-sama! What happened?" The unshed tears in Rin's eyes made him feel something strange. He never liked it when people cry. He found it annoying. But when Rin cried all he wanted to do is put a smile back in her face.

Hosshimaru looked at the pair. She knew she ought to be preparing for battle but the sight before her was too interesting. Sesshoumaru looked distressed. _What for, I wonder? Her crying? Why is she crying? Why this letter affects her so? The forest isn't even near that village and she doesn't know the contents of the letter. _

"The forest of Aokigahara was burnt."

"Kohaku! I must send a letter to Sango and prepare my herbal remedies for burns and-"

_STOP!_ Rin knew Hosshimaru, as part demon sorceress, was able to 'talk' in people's mind, she had told her but never done it. _Ugh, it hurts._

"I do not care who this people are. You. Are. Not. To. Leave. The. Castle!"

Rin pouted and went to her room, forgetting her dinner.

"We depart in one hour."

"Half," replied Sesshoumaru while walking away. He came to Rin's door. He could hear her moving around quickly. She wasn't crying. She's preparing to depart. _Hnn._ Sesshomaru smiled a little, knocked on the door and was sure to erase any emotion from his face. He knocked again. "Rin." The door opened. "Leaving?"

"You know the demon slayers village is near Aokigahara. Kohaku-kun trains there, he would be in need of a healer and Hosshimaru-sama told me you have no such person, as demons heal by themselves. Please–"

"Rin." The girl stopped her babbling. "Write a letter and make a messenger take it." With that Sesshoumaru turned to leave but stopped a few steps after. "Do not leave the castle."

"Are you sure I'll have an answer by midnight?" Rin asked Moriko.

"The distance within the castle and that village is not nothing for a raven demon. I know Hayato. Your letter will be here before midnight."

"Ok, that gives me some hours to prepare."

"Are you really leaving to help this Kohaku person if they answer you that he was in the forest?"

"He's my friend."

"Really? Just a friend? Is he handsome?"

"I suppose his betrothal find him attractive."

"Wouldn't say woman, find it weird for his friend to come aid him?"

"She knows we are friends and nothing more. As a matter of fact, it was me who matched them. Midori-chan is a friend of mine from the village and since young age she had a liking for Kohaku-kun. I decided to play matchmaker and made them meet." Rin smiled proudly, like she had done the most amazing thing ever. Miroku couldn't help her own lips going up as well.

"So, what's your plan of action?"

"If he was training, I'll ask Sesshomaru-sama to let me go and help him."

"Rin, the lord already left hours ago."

"Wha…What?"

"What do you expect, the forest of Aokigahara is a large west territory. We can't just let the east claim it that easy."

"Claim it?"

"Oh, you don't know. The leader of the east is a dragon demon; his way of claiming enemy's territory is burning it down. Aokigahara is very large and probably the fire is still on. There's the matter, also, that Hosshimaru detests when nature is damaged. Something to do with her sorcery." Moriko shrugged. Rin, in the other hand, hadn't thought about that particular matter and her smile soon vanished; she didn't like the idea of all the tress and flowers burning down either. _Sesshoumaru-sama left with Hosshimaru-sama, must probably. And it's not like she could let me go. I really do not want to go against his wishes, but if that fire is still going, then even them may need my healing._ "I must go." Rin whispered.

"Do you plan to go against Sesshomaru-sama for just one boy?"

"No, is not just that. Dragon fire can burn the hardest of skins and is not easy to put out, they might need my help."

"You know how to heal demons?" Rin nodded. She made sure to learn how to heal humans and demons, after all she always planned to go back travelling with her lord and she didn't want to be a burden, she wanted to be helpful. But if she was to leave the castle, she needed help. The human smiled, with a tinkling in her eyes, at the fox demon. "What?"

"I need your help."

Three hours later Rin had a good enough plan. Moriko showed her where the food supplies came in and give her some of her clothes, everyone could know there was something odd going on, if a girl with a colorful silk kimono was wandering in the kitchens. There still was the matter of her scent, but for that Rin had a small vial that would hide her scent for some time. All was left was wait for the letter; she didn't want to leave without knowing what happened to Kohaku. She was sure to make the letter as if she was only saying her hello. She wrote about her lessons and asked about everyone's well being, and of course, if Kohaku had visited his soon to be wife in this past weeks. That way she would know if he was indeed training or not without alarming the others. As for the late hour, Moriko told the raven demon to say, if the humans were to ask, 'I had far more important letters to deliver, that some human message.' He didn't like it much, for he is one of those demons that don't dislike humans, but he would do anything for Moriko.

Some time before midnight, Hayato was back in the castle. What a circus. He couldn't believe the amount of kids he heard sleeping when he set foot in the village and when a girl exclaimed 'letter from Rin,' all the little ones started screaming or crying. Really it must have been about seven in only one home. He was glad he would get out of there fairly quickly, as it took only some time for the woman to write an answer. It seems everything went as planned. The raven demon went straight for Rin's room and delivered the letter. The girl smiled and thank him many times, but what he appreciated the must was Moriko's smile. She's beautiful. He was enchanted by Moriko's looks and personality seen he first put eyes on her. He liked everything about her, from her curly brown hair, to her blue eyes and cute tail.

Meanwhile, in Rin's room say fox demon was trying to read above her friend's shoulder, but given her short stature and Rin's rather large one, it was impossible.

_Dear Rin-chan,_

_Thank you for your concern! Your writing has improved so much! We are glad to hear you are happy with your life in the castle and that you enjoy your lessons so much. Everything is good here, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Although little Aiko said her first word just yesterday; she said sit to InuYasha, it was very funny. _

_Sadly, Kohaku hasn't been around. He still doesn't know that you went to live in the castle and, of course, Midori-chan misses him terribly. We all miss him and you. Any chance you visit soon? _

_Love from all of us,_

_Kagome. _

"He hasn't retuned. I'm leaving." Rin grabbed her healing kit, put a bit of potion on her neck, feet, and under her arms, and set out toward the kitchens with Moriko right behind her. The demon made sure that her scent was gone and that her hair handkerchief concealed her face a bit. "The door is at the far left. To open it you need to bring it up a little, everyone knows this so if it get's stock they'll know you aren't one of the servants. Ah-Un will be in the clearing just some paces from the door."

"Ok, got it."

"Rin-san be careful please."

"Thank you, Moriko-chan. Thank you for helping me."

"Helping you? Girl, if you're caught I just say you took the clothes from my room. I would like to keep my job, you know." Rin giggled and hugged her friend hard, surprising the demon.

"Ok, got to go." Moriko nodded and saw Rin's retreating form going into the kitchens, she only hope nothing would happen to the girl. She'll feel very guilty and end up killed by Sesshomaru. _Or worse lose my job._

**A/N: First of all, thank you for reading. In this chapter I wanted to show how I imagined Rin to be. I've read many fanfics where Rin is a complete damsel in distress and well I think that is not her. After all, in the manga, Rin is as much of a fighter as Kagome and Sango. She survived the attack to her village, kept herself alive while living in that other horrible village, tried to help Sesshomaru when she find him in the forest even though any other eight year old could have run away screaming, went looking for the remedy for Jaken (from that scene and because Kaede, Kagome, and Jinengi would have taught her, is that I imagined Rin becoming an excellent healer), and other scenes that made me imagine an adult Rin as a fighter. Also, I believe she has an enormous motive to become a useful lady and that is because she did not wish to be a burden to her lord. Believe me, there will chapters where Rin will need Sesshomaru to save her, after all she is only human and is in the middle of a demon war. But you will see some more of Rin's bravery as well as her kind nature and will to help people. **

**Thank you all and best wishes,**

**Pritxka.**


	4. Chapter 4

**4) Chapter four: The healing girl.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

After almost five hours of battle, Sesshoumaru realized that he underestimated the demons of the east. It seemed these were no weaklings, as the ones sent to capture Rin. They were not only overwhelmed in number but in defense. The damn things were in their dragon form and their scales were almost impenetrable, even with Bakusaiga he was only able to scratch them. There was also the matter that the fire was still full on, which made Hosshimaru's water sorcery completely useless. Their senses were affected by the fire and smoke; the conditions that were terrible for the inuyoukai were perfect for the dragons.

Sesshoumaru was battling three dragons at once, but that didn't stop him from realizing that Hosshimaru was about to be attacked from behind. He was about to call to her when an arrow pierced the dragon within the eyes and... killed it. _What?!_ Then, he saw as another arrow took out one of his enemies and another that was flying toward him.

"Rin!" Hosshimaru yelled while Sesshoumaru looked for the girl. "What the hell are you doing here?" And from behind some bushes, out came Rin with bow and arrow ready followed by Ah-Un.

"Fighting fire with fire." The girl explained while killing the last of Sesshoumaru's dragons.

"Never fight fire with fire. I taught you that." Hosshimaru said annoyingly.

"Their scales are too hard. They can resist even their own fire but, as you showed me, their weak spot is in between their eyes. The skin there is not protected by scales, but some sort of strong skin that resists any type of weapon. But if that weapon is heated with their own fire then you can rip through their skin.

"And how do you knew that?" Hosshimaru asked.

"I didn't. Just took the chance."

"What? Took the chance?!"

"Ah-Un. Fire" Sesshoumaru commanded. The dragon demon shot fire at him and Sesshomaru put his sword in the flames. The lord turned around and saw ten dragons coming their way. He flicked his sword and instantly all the demons were killed.

"Amazing!" Rin exclaimed.

Soon many dragons were coming their way, but with Rin's idea the west demons were able to, at last, have some leverage. Rin grabbed another of her metal point arrows and shot. After seconds, she entered a state where her goal was only to defend herself, so she would later find Kohaku and any other person or demons that needed her help.

Hosshimaru was busy dealing with, she didn't know how many, dragons. She saw that Sesshoumaru, instead of concentrating fully in the battle, was staring at Rin. "Sesshoumaru!" _Stop looking at your girlfriend and fight! _She admonished in his mind. Sesshomaru growled and killed all the demons in one strike. _I'm ending this._ The demon lord flew high into the sky to get out of the smoke. He saw the larger group of dragons and strike. _Now there are only a few._

"Ahhhh! Sesshomaru-samaaaaaa!"

_Rin!_ Sesshoumaru went down to find that all were still fighting. He spotted Ah-Un going east and followed.

"Let me go!" Rin yelled while trying to scratch the dragon's talon with her sword, knowing full well it was useless. She looked down and screamed louder than before. _We are really up! Sesshoumaru-sama!_ Now she held for dear life to the dragon, but it decided to do as she asked and let her go. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh-ugh! Sesshoumaru-sama!"

Sesshoumaru saw Rin falling through the sky and went at her. As soon as she was secure in her arms, he unsheathed Bakusaiga and stabbed the demon. He looked down, expecting a crying girl but was met with her happy smile. She turned her head and laid it against his shoulder, her nose almost touching his neck.

"I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"What for?"

"Being caught by a demon?"

"..."

"I mean... it's just... uh..."

"Do not stutter."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"Sesshoumaru!" Hosshimaru yelled.

"We'll talk about this," he said while turning back.

"Hosshimaru-sama! You're hurt!" Rin exclaimed.

"It's nothing. We are done. All dead. Now, maybe I can stop this damn fire." Hosshimaru grimaced looking at all the damage. Forgetting about her pain and now out of the heat, she summoned her magic and started to put out the fire. She couldn't stop a tear leaving her right eye at the sight below her.

While Hosshimaru worked with her magic, Rin treated the wounded. Almost all had burns and scratches, some even had cuts so deep that she could see the bone. At first, the demons were not happy about a human helping them, but no one ever saw to their injuries while in the field. Soon many where calling out for, 'the healing girl' and every time she repeated her name, but the nickname stayed. _It doesn't matter. I like it. The healing girl. At least is not 'human'._

The sun was rising by the time the group was departing toward the castle. Sesshomaru, Ah-Un, and Rin stayed behind for she needed to know if her friend was all right.

The party of three set out toward the village of demon slayers, not before Hosshimaru scolded Rin for going against her orders. Rin accepted her lecture humbly and never spoke against her tutor, which strike Sesshomaru as odd since, now; he was accustomed to Rin defending herself. After some minutes of the insistent woman speaking down to Rin, he had enough.

"Hosshimaru. Go back to the castle."

"Do not order me. I'm not finished yet."

"Yes you are. Come on Rin."

"She's not going anywhere. She will come to the castle with me. Go on ahead, Rin."

"You do not control her."

"I'm her tutor."

"I'm the lord." Sesshoumaru growled. Hosshimaru mounted her horse.

_If something happens to her don't come crying to me later._

"Leave!" Hosshimaru straighten her back and turned her head, making her hair flow from one shoulder to the other, while Rin stood awkwardly in the side. She saw Sesshoumaru start walking in the opposite direction Hosshimaru was going and followed him with Ah-Un. When they were a good distance from the ground, Rin spoke.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, thank you for allowing me to look for Kohaku-kun and for coming with me. I apologize for… for leaving the castle when you told not to, but I just had to-"

"Enough."

"… a-are you mad, my lord?" Sesshoumaru stopped in mid air and turned to the girl on the two-headed demon.

"You fought." Rin nodded and waited for him to continue. Sesshoumaru flew closer to her. "You helped." Rin smiled sweetly at him. He was closer now. "You are not a burden. You never had been." Sesshoumaru whispered, he was so close that Rin could feel his breath in her hair. She took a deep breath and closed the distance within them, putting her head in his chest. He felt him stiffen and was about to step back, when she felt him rested his chin on top of her head.

"Thank you."

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. His nose was back to normal and he could smell Rin's flowery scent that combine with the smell of smoke. Not unpleasant at all. "Why did you come?"

"When I found out that it was dragons that created the fire, I knew you would be needing a healer. Back in the village, I studied all about dragon demons. It somehow draw me closer to Ah-Un and, well, to you." Rin blushed. "I learnt that their fire can burn through anything and learnt how to make a salve that helps the burns heal."

_Did she not leave to find the demon slayer? _

"And I received the answer from Kagome-chan." Rin looked at Sesshoumaru in the eyes. "Kohaku-kun hasn't come by the village." Sesshoumaru saw her worried look and felt…strange. He step out of their embrace and turned. Rin took it as a sign to continue, but worried that she couldn't look at his eyes, that were hidden behind his bangs. _Is he mad about something? About me worrying over Kohaku? _"I guess is best we keep going. If he is injured, Midori-chan will never forgive me for not getting to him quickly." Sesshoumaru kept going with his back to Rin, so she couldn't see his eyebrow arced, but she did see his head moving slightly to the right, signing that he was listening. "You see, they are going to get married in one moon cycle and I'm sure Midori-chan doesn't want her husband to have burns in his face or anywhere, for that matter." Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, but for some reason, he felt his body relaxed for the first time since Rin found about the fire in Aokigahara. For the rest of the travel, Rin talked about how the couple met, about the soon to be weeding, about InuYasha's and Kagome's daughter and son. Aiko, the youngest and Ren; both have silver hair. The girl, Aiko, got her mother's eyes and Ren, the boy of five, his father's amber eyes. Neither got the puppy ears, much to Kagome's disappointment. "They have human ears. It also seems they age as humans do. Kagome-chan told me in her letter that yesterday, Aiko-chan said her first word. She said 'sit' to InuYasha. It really must have been funny." Rin giggled.

_How quickly. Takahiro has still to say his first actual word and he's older than this Ren. _

"Oh, look! We are here, Sesshoumaru-sama." At first instance the village looked intact. After all, the fire concentrated in the battlefield that was west from here. Rin made Ah-Un go down and enter the village. She looked around and it seemed everything was fine, but where was Kohaku? She called him and Kirara was the one who came. One of her tails was burnt. "Oh no!" Rin took the little demon and immediately applied some ointment to the injury. "Where is him, Kirara? Can you show me?" The cat demon meowed and jumped from Rin's hands. The girl and her companions followed the little demon into the forest. After some steps, Rin heard Sesshoumaru growl. "Is something wrong, my lord?"

"Eagles."

"What? Where?"

"Up ahead. It's a nest." _A big one._

"Would they be part of the east army?"

"Hn." _If they are, then Yoshirou had made a fool of this Sesshoumaru. _"Come." Rin prepared her bow and arrows and followed behind her lord. Kirara led them to a clearing where a young man was lying unconscious in the ground with his left leg bent awkwardly.

"Koha-!" Rin felt Sesshoumaru's hand in her mouth and saw him looking up, she followed his eyes and, if it weren't for her lord's hand, she could have left out a loud gasp. In the top of the trees that surrounded the clearing there was a huge nest. _An eagle nest? But it's huge!_ Rin looked to Kohaku and saw that his left leg was definitely dismounted or maybe broken and his right one wasn't any better. She took Sesshoumaru's hand from her face and crawled on all fours toward the demon slayer. Rin put her own hand around her mouth to stop her cries. His upper right leg was burnt, all the skin gone. She saw a yellow substance coming out of a deep cut. Infected. With only her emergency kit she couldn't do much and there was also the matter that they were below an eagle demon nest. It's a good thing the sun is up. For the eagle demons were nocturnal creatures. The healing girl motioned for Ah-Un and Kirara to come, the little cat transforming. She looked to her lord and asked for his help silently. Sesshomaru got near her and arced his eyebrow as way of question. Rin explained with her hands that she wanted to put Kohaku on top of the demons. Sesshoumaru nodded. The girl took Kohaku's legs and with Sesshoumaru's help she was able to maintain him in a stiff form, but when they laid him on the dragon, his burnt skin touched Ah-Un's scaled body roughly and he let out a low scream. Nonetheless, the eagles woke up.

"Go." Rin did as she was told and went in the back of Ah-Un holding up Kohaku. When they were some distance from the clearing, she saw as Sesshoumaru instead of killing the demons, punched them and inspected some. Soon they were to far away for her to see what was he doing.

"Ughhh…"

"Kohaku-kun! Stay still. We are going to the village, there I'll treat you and then- Oh, he's unconscious again." They landed on the village and with the demons' help she was able to put Kohaku inside one of the huts. She got a better look at him, she saw many scratches in his arms and face; his demon slayer outfit in shatters. She got rid of what was left and put a cloth on his middle, blushing a little. She bent over to get a good look on his right leg and saw that the cut was deep but she could not see the bone.

"Hmm."

"Sesshoumaru-sama would you please bring me some water?" She saw him not moving. "Water, please!" Rin brought out more blankets from her bag and her kit. She saw a bucket of water next to her. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"…"

"Ah-Un, fire please." Rin put her small blade on the fire and then in the water. "To disinfect it." She explained to Sesshoumaru. "And now I have to cut it."

Sesshomaru saw as Rin kneeled in front of the demon slayer, took a breath and cut in the burnt leg. If he knew she was going to do that, he would have gotten out, for the scream that came from the man pierced his sensitive ears. Then she drenched a cloth with some strange blue liquid that smelled strongly and put it on the cut. Another scream followed. What is she doing?! "This is alcohol, Kagome brings it from her time and it's perfect to cleanse wounds although it burns a lot." Rin blew in his leg a little. "That helps." Then she put all that was left of her ointment on it. "It won't be enough and his left leg is dismounted. I've mend those type of wounds but only for little kids, I'm not strong enough to do it for him. Would you…would you help me, please my lord?"

"Ri…Rin-chaaan?"

"Oh, Kohaku-kun! You're awake!" It would have been better if he were unconscious for this.

"Rin-chan, you look terrible." Rin laughed while Sesshoumaru growled. After all she'd done and he says such a thing. Yes, her hair was messy and her face red from crying and exercise, but it was all because of his state. "Sesshoumaru-sama? What's going on?"

"Umm, you are wounded. I have to mend your leg and then we'll take you to Kagome-chan. Please, my lord?" She asked pleading with her eyes.

"What am I to do?"

"Put your hands next to his knee. I'll guide you through it, you just need to apply some force. Not much, be careful with your force please."

"What are you doing?"

"At the count of three. One…"

"Rin-chan?"

"Two."

"Wait!"

"Three." Krack.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…" Being so near to the slayer when he screamed left Sesshoumaru deaf for a while. He saw Rin talking to him, but he wasn't hearing correctly.

"…to Kagome-chan, she will able to help more. Good that he is unconscious again, the journey will be difficult. I need your help to put him on Kirara's back. Sesshoumaru, are you listening to me? Please, my lord…"

"What did you just said?"

"That I need you help-"

"You called me by my name alone."

"I… I d-d-did? I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm not myself right now and I need to get Kohaku-kun to the village quickly. I might be, I _hope_ I'm wrong but if we don't treat him soon, we might need to cut his leg. And- and…" She couldn't hold it anymore. Rin started to cry profusely. Sesshoumaru took her arm and brought her on her legs.

"I'll put the slayer on the cat demon. You pick everything here."

"Yes. Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Hn." He could do without the –sama.

**A/N: Thanks to all the readers and for the reviews. In many fanfics, the friendship of Rin and Kohaku becomes a sort of romance and a point to show Sesshoumaru's true sentiments toward Rin. I sure thought that it could be useful for that matter, but I planned my story to show Rin's and Sesshoumaru's change of affections by actions of their own; I wanted them to be good for each other, to make each other strong in a way and I believe that jealousy doesn't help me in that aspect. **

**Don't take me wrong; I still love all the stories where Sesshoumaru's jealousy made him act different, but it didn't work for my idea. **

**Again thank you for reading and happy wishes,**

**Pritxka.**


	5. Chapter 5

**5) Chapter five: Stares of wonder. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

After a long and difficult trip, the group landed in the village. It was mid day and all the villagers were out working or playing, depending in their age. Sango's and Miroku's five kids came running as soon as they saw their Rin-oba and Kirara set foot on front of Kagome's hut.

"Rin-chan! I never thought you could visit this- what happened?" The miko saw Rin's disheveled form and turned to the always impeccable Sesshoumaru, but as soon as she set eyes on Kirara she transformed in the healer all the villagers have come to appreciate and love. "Get him inside."

"What's wrong with Kohaku-oji? Is he sick?" Izumi, the oldest of the group of kids, asked. Their parents were running as fast as they could toward the group. "Kohaku! What's wrong, what's happened?" their mother demanded.

"Not now, Sango-chan. First, we have to treat him. Quickly, let's get him inside."

Sesshoumaru stayed out of the way and watched as all the humans went inside the small hut. He heard the female demon slayer yelled at her numerous kids to get out and knew he better get away from there; he had enough with the demon slayer's screams from that morning. The daiyoukai took flight toward the forest, earing cries of monster of all the pitiful humans. In the dark of the forest, he settled against a tree to rest but was soon disturbed by no other than his stupid half-brother.

"Get a move, brat. I don't want Kagome to sit me so soon yet." InuYasha stopped in his tracks when he felt his older brother's demonic aura. "Ren, get back here! Shit!" He went after his son, who passed ahead of him in Sesshoumaru's direction. "Gotcha."

"Let go of me, right now," his oldest ordered. InuYasha didn't know what he did to deserve that his son act like Sesshoumaru and that his daughter was already sitting him. _Really these kids._ "Sesshoumaru, what the fuck are you doing here?"

"Mother, told you not to speak like that in front of us."

"Well, your mother isn't here, is she?"

"Sit!" InuYasha terrified face relaxed when he realized it was Aiko's voice that spoke.

Ren stared wonderingly at the creature resting against a tree. _So this is Sesshoumaru, my 'uncle' Sesshoumaru._ InuYasha watched as his son and Sesshomaru stared at each other and wondered, what his brother think of Ren. "Rin is with you, right? I miss her. She's one of the few people here I like. All the others are too stupid to be able to play with me." Sesshoumaru stared at the little creature before him; he intrigued him.

"What are doing here, Sesshoumaru?"

"Isn't it obvious, he brought Rin for a visit, right?"

"No."

"Is Rin alright? She's not hurt, is she? Father we must go back to the village, now!"

"She's not hurt."

"Sesshoumaru, what happened?" InuYasha demanded of his older brother.

"She brought the demon slayer to the miko."

"Kohaku? Is he injured?" Sesshomaru nodded at his brother's question. Ren inspected his uncle's face and noted a tired look in the amber eyes.

"Let's go, dad." Ren headed toward the village not waiting for his father, who sighed and followed, over his shoulder, Aiko smiled and winked at Sesshoumaru. _Interesting creatures_, the lord thought.

The sun was about to go down when the women finished treating Kohaku. Rin was exhausted; she hadn't slept in more than a day, she needed a bath, food, and a good meditation hour, after all that happened. After eating some ramen and taking a bath in the spring, Kagome gave her two of the white circles that ease the pain and fell asleep on a borrowed futon on the hut she used to live in.

In the middle of night, her senses were assaulted by the smell of smoke and screams of people. She ran around looking for the attackers, but could only see how all of her friends disappeared in the flames. She tried to call for her lord and got a mouthful of ashes. She couldn't speak, she was mute. _Sesshoumaru-sama, please help me_. The fire got to her; she felt the flames burning her body and still couldn't yell.

"Rin." The young woman woke up, startled. She looked around trying to decipher where she was. _The hut, I'm in my hut._ _It was a nightmare, only a nightmare. _Rin saw her lord standing in her doorstep and smiled as way of thank you. It was as when she was a kid and she would wake up in the middle of the night because of her nightmares. "Go back to sleep. We leave at sunrise." She lay back and closed her eyes, but opened them when she heard Sesshoumaru leaving.

"Please, stay."

"…"

"Please, I can't sleep."

Sesshoumaru's pride was fighting against his will to succumb to Rin's big, doe eyes. He wasn't one to enter any village hut, but he had already come down when he felt Rin's fright, thinking she was in danger. He took a deep breath. The hut smelled of wood, tea, dust, and Rin. He heard her heartbeat on overdrive; saw her pleading eyes, and her smile. _Damn her smile._ Sesshoumaru sat next to her futon, with his back to her.

"Thank you."

"Sleep." Rin lay back again, but she really wasn't sleepy and had some questions that needed an answer.

"Why do you help today? Is not that I'm not thankful, I'm very thankful of your help, but I wonder. I know you're kind, at least to me…" _Gods what I'm saying?! Shut up Rin!_ "Never mind, forget I spoke." It was a good thing he had her back to her, because her cheeks were as red as her borrowed kimono.

"Don't ask such silly questions." Rin smiled and her cheeks went even redder if possible, for she knew what that meant. Just then, she realized she was playing with a lock of his hair. She'd always wanted to touch it; it felt like silk and was so thin, but strong. Rin found some knots and got rid of them with her delicate hands. It seemed the youkai hadn't found out or was enjoying her touch because he said no word against it.

"Kagome-chan said he would be alright. We didn't have to cut his leg, but he won't be able to walk for some time and then he'll need to practice with a stick first. Moriko-chan is very sad that the weeding won't be happening until later; I'm just glad he didn't die. It's always hard when someone dies, I feel terrible, but if Kohaku-kun were dead we all would be depressed."

"You don't like killing." It was more of a statement, but Rin answered nonetheless.

"No, I really don't. I do it to protect my love ones and myself. But I wasn't speaking of killing, what is very hard for me is when a person or demon I was treating, dies. It doesn't matter if I never talked to them or even knew their names; I feel like a part of me dies with them. I feel…guilty."

"Why help then?"

"I… well, I just can't let anyone suffer pain if I can do something to stop it or prevent it. It's just how I am." After that they stayed silent while Rin kept working on Sesshoumaru's hair. _I wonder how he washes it or combs it. Does he do it alone?_ "Is it hard?" She whispered.

"…" _She can't be asking if it's hard for me when vermin die…_

"Washing your hair, I mean? Mine is long, but not as long as yours since you're taller than me and yours is longer, and I have problems brushing it. Especially when I roll on a flower meadow. N-n-not that I still do s-such a c-childish thing." _Gods, how embarrassing!_ Rin heard Sesshoumaru growled deeply. _Is he mocking me? How rude!_

"It isn't." It wasn't like Sesshoumaru to let anyone touch his hair. He remember there was a time, when he was a pup, that he liked when someone brush his hair, but not anymore. When he heard Rin's deep breaths and slow heartbeat, the youkai stood up and left, to rest in his previous spot.

"We almost lost, Hiroto. You misinform us. Are you with the east or the west? Should I convict you for treason? Explain yourself!" Hosshimaru demanded of the vampire demon and first general. She was the maddest she ever been. It had been more than a day and she still hasn't seen Takahiro, eat, take a bath, or sleep. The demonness has spent hours looking for the reason behind their almost failure. They were not inform of any demons still being in the fire and encountered over a hundred. There was also the matter about these demons being almost impossible to kill. _How is it that we never knew about that little secret about their bodies? And how Rin, of all people, found out? Took a chance? I don't believe any of it. This got to do with Emi. _

"H-Hosshimaru-sama, please, I was informed by the raven demons that there was no one in the battlefield when they found the message attached to one of their dead companions. T-they must've not seen them."

"You take me for a fool."

"N-n-no never, Hosshi-"

"THEN HOW YOU SPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEY DIDN'T SAW ENORMOUS, DRAGON DEMONS?!"

"Hosshimaru. There's no need to leave us all deaf." Daichikutsu, the daiyoukai owl demon sitting next to her, said. She felt his hand squeeze her knee under the table and she relaxed a bit. She patted his hand as way of thank you. "Call the raven demons that found the letter." He ordered to no one in particular with his deep voice.

"Daichikutsu-sama, the demons you asked for." The raven demons bowed to the six people at the table.

"Tell us the exact events of how you found the letter from the east." The white, longhaired and silver-eyed owl demon ordered.

"We were coming back from delivering our respective messages and we always encounter in a clearing in Aokigahara to flight back to the castle all together, when we s-"

"Why do you speak for everyone? How can you see what everyone else saw?" One of the demons sitting asked sarcastically.

"The third eye of the raven demons is shared within brothers. You probably didn't know the members of this pack are brothers, because I can't possibly understand how you don't know this piece of information about ravens, or is it that you're such an ignorant that you know neither, Shinobu?" Hosshimaru replied with more sarcasm in her voice bringing a deep blush to the other's cheeks. "Continue."

"We saw from afar the fire, its flames were higher than the tallest trees and the smoke smelt different. Then, out of nowhere an arrow pierced our youngest brother. We followed his body and found the letter attached to the arrow. Immediately, we divide our group in two. Five of us stayed behind to flight over the area and the other four came to castle, as we share one eye, they could see what we saw and reported here. We saw nothing, no one."

"Mmmm… You may leave." The demons bowed and were escort out the room. _Daichikutsu, he wasn't lying._

_I know._

"It took us an hour to reach the forest. We encountered the ravens half way there. That gave the dragons to get from; we don't know where, to the forest and attack. They must have been in the forest." Hosshimaru said.

"A cave maybe?"

"The ravens could have smelled them."

"With all that smoke?"

"Mmm. It could be a cave, then."

"A cave that can house a hundred dragon demons?"

"In their humanoid form, it could."

"There's no cave big enough in Aokigahara."

"They divided in small groups and hid in many caves, then."

"The smoke may have been able to hide their stench but not their demonic aura. "They may subdue it but not make it disappear and I remember clearly that their youki appeared as suddenly as they did." Hosshimaru said stopping all the ridiculous ideas of the dragons hiding in a cave. _They are vermin, but not that much_. _"A barrier." How I didn't see it earlier, Hosshimaru! It's a barrier! There could be more of them in the forest right now! _Daichikutsu told her in her mind while all the others quarreled about the barrier idea. But Hosshimaru could only think, that right now, maybe, Sesshoumaru and Rin were walking around Aokigahara. She stood up and left the room calling for Jaken.

"Hosshimaru-sama! They're back, Hosshimaru-sama!" The kappa demon yelled running toward her. She let out a sigh and walked in the direction of Sesshoumaru's youki, stepping over the little demon.

"W-w-why me?" Jaken cried.

She stared wonderingly at the pair. In her eyes they looked perfect together; he all silver and she all midnight. Like the full moon in the night sky. And she couldn't stop herself from feeling a bit jealous. "Rin, go to your room. Sesshoumaru, I need to speak to you, now."

"You know, I'm not a little girl. I'll be twenty one in a few days."

"You are tired. I'm…tired. Go rest, please Rin. I don't need your attitude today." Rin didn't know if it was that she was grumpy from lack of sleep, but, right now, Hosshimaru was very annoying to her. "I don't have an attitude and you're annoying." Sesshoumaru looked down at Rin and tried his best to contain his chuckle, but at the sight of Rin's smile and Hosshimaru's surprise expression he knew they heard.

"Your mother is right, staying so much with humans has made you an annoyance. This is very important Sesshoumaru," _so stop your flirting and follow me_. Hosshimaru turned, not waiting for him to follow her. "After you rest, I want a private talk with you, Rin."

"Yes." _Great. Another lecture_. Rin went to her room for she did need to sleep. _But first a bath and some food. _Afterwards, she felt guilty for how she spoke to Hosshimaru and decided to apologize later. She was about to lie down, when someone knock on her door.

"Your presence is required at the war room," said a demon who turned around without waiting for an answer.

"Wait! I can't present myself like this. I was about to sleep. Let me change. Gods, he's not waiting!" Rin ran after the demon trying in vane to make her sleeping yukata more presentable.

"The woman you asked for, Hosshimaru-sama." Rin entered a room where seven demons, including Sesshoumaru and Hosshimaru, were sitting to a table. The room was circular and had in the back wall an enormous tapestry with a map. After gaping at the room, Rin remembered she had to bow and did so.

"You were yesterday's morning in Aokigahara with Sesshoumaru and were attacked by eagle demons. I want you to compare them and tell me if they are any different from the eagle demons that attacked the village where you lived, two weeks ago." Hosshimaru say to her.

"Yes, Hosshimaru-sama." Rin tried to make her voice as steady as possible, but she was quite scared of being in such a room and with such powerful youkai looking at her. She locked gazes with Sesshoumaru's amber eyes and saw them soften a tad, giving her strength. "I remember clearly that the eagle demons that attacked my village were five feet wide at least, had three eyes like any normal bird type demon but the center one, that usually is the same color as that one of it's brother, was not. I k-killed about ten of them and all had a different colored third eye, maybe they weren't brothers but by the way they attacked I think they were. There was a method to their killing. One could fly real close to the victim while another bumped him o her to the ground and then both could e-eat the person. Thankfully, my friends and I were able to stop them, and then Sesshoumaru-sama took care of the rest.

As for if there are any differences between the two, I must say I wasn't paying attention to the eagles at the time they attacked us in Aokigahara, but I believe they had the same blue markings in their wings and that the only difference was that the eagles from the village were adults, whereas those from Aokigahara were young ones." Rin took a large breath at the end of her speech, straightened her back, put her chin up and smiled.

"I must say she talks a lot, but that was the best battle report I heard in a while." A demon with white hair and strange silver eyes without pupils said. Rin smiled at him and murmured a thank you.

"Alright, that would do. Go back to your room." Rin bowed and turned to left the room, not without catching Sesshoumaru's proud smile. He wasn't smiling per se, but Rin saw it in his eyes.

She slept very well afterwards and dreamt of her lord's stare of wonder.

**A/N: Thank you readers and reviewers! **

**I took this chapter to show Rin's talkative and kind personality being used in a war situation, such as healing soldiers and giving long battle reports. I think I managed to maintain the Rin from the manga but making her stronger, now that she is a young woman. **

**As for Sesshoumaru's personality, I feared some may think he is coming a bit OC, but I must say that, in my story, demons aged slowly and their personalities does too. For example, InuYasha in the manga is very old but acts as an immature teenager. I saw that and thought, why can't Sesshoumaru be the same? After all, he is a bit childish about his relationship with InuYasha and is very stubborn. Why he helped Rin? Easy, don't ask such silly questions :) hahahahaha And, did he know Rin was touching his hair? Maybe, we'll never know. (Well, I will. Too cruel? Hahahhahaha)**

**Again, thank you all and good luck,**

**Pritxka.**


	6. Chapter 6

**6) Chapter six: Mysteries resolved and lessons learnt. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

"I can't believe I slept so much! I'm going to be late!" Rin ran around her room trying to be ready for her morning lesson with Hosshimaru. "I slept all yesterday and now I'm late for my lesson. Hosshimaru-sama is going to kill me! Ugh!" At the knock to her door, Rin stopped mid stride and prepared herself for the worst. "Come in."

"First lesson of today, lock your door and always ask who is it. Sit down; we're having our talk. Remember it? Or did sleeping beauty forget that too?" Hosshimaru said teasingly. "Don't. Don't apologize, you were tired. I understand." She said, stopping Rin from her probably long apology. "Your fighting lessons will be stop. It's obvious you know how to fight, but practice makes the master, so keep training. Do it in the mornings, because your history of demons lessons will go on in the afternoon after midday, whereas it is I that teach you or Daichikutsu; he was the demon that compliment you on your speech, yesterday." Hosshimaru explained seeing Rin's confused look. "Now, that's not why I came here. Follow me." Rin did as told and followed Hosshimaru to a room that appeared to be her bedchambers. The demon sat in a cushion near her futon and motioned Rin to do the same. "Rin, I want you to tell me the truth and only the truth, otherwise I'll know." After a long paused and Rin's nod, she continued. "How did you know how to kill the dragon demons?" "I-I told you, Hosshimaru-sama, I just took a shot."

"No Rin. Why, why did you shot the dragon that was going to attack me instead of one of Sesshoumaru?"

"Because you were in danger."

"So were the others. Why, then?"

"B-because I like you, you're a good teacher and have helped me a lot. Y-you are my friend." She whispered the last part.

"Well, thank you, but that won't do. You see, I'm sure you like Sesshoumaru a great deal more than me and he too was in danger. I see by your blush that I'm not mistaken. Why defend me first, then?"

"Because you were in more danger than any of the others! Why are you asking me this?"

"I do the questions. And for your information, I saw one of our soldiers die at the same time you killed that dragon."

"W-what?"

"You heard me. Why did you defend me and not him?"

"Because I couldn't let you die! I must protect you!" Rin gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"You really are her."

"W-what?"

"Wait here." Rin saw as the demon took a scroll from her little desk and gazed at it with a sad smile in her face. "I used to have a sister. She was some years younger than me and was my half sister. We shared my mother, but her father was a human that served in our castle. She was a dog half-demon as InuYasha, but our relationship was nothing like that of Sesshoumaru and InuYasha, we loved each other. For some reason, even though she was the younger one, she was very protective of my mother and I.

When, Sesshoumaru's mother heard that her dear friend had birthed a hanyou, she severed the connection with my mother. Still, when the Inu no Taishou mated Izayoi and died rescuing her, my mother, sister, and I went to the castle, because my mother wanted to be there for her friend. We were halfway there when a group of spider demons attacked us. It was a large group and we were fighting many at once. My mother was bitten and wouldn't fight properly, she was about to be attack but my sister got in the way and was instantly killed when her head was cut from her shoulders. I took my mother and my sister's body and flew toward the west castle, this castle. At the time, there was no antidote to a spider demon's poison and she was bitten in the neck. She died some hours later. Since then I had lived here. This a drawing of my sister." Hosshimaru gave the scroll to Rin who took it and let out a small gasp. "You saw it too, then?"

"What was her name?"

"Emi."

"E-Emi."

"Did it sound familiar to you?"

"No, why would it?"

"Well, as you see you two look very similar. Apart from that, some aspects of your attitude, and what you said about defending me, makes me believe that you, Rin, are Emi's reincarnation. Also, that you knew how to kill the dragons is strange. Emi was always reading, she specially read a lot about dragon demons because she loved one. That makes me believe that in that moment, on the middle of battle, when I was in danger Emi and her knowledge was brought to your mind, at least unconsciously, and that's how you knew what to do. In the moment, did you feel like you remember that piece of information about the demons?" Rin thought hard and she remembered that it was her inner voice that told her what to do. _Could it be that my inner voice is in fact Emi? Am I Emi or Rin?! _"Don't fret, girl. Being Emi's reincarnation doesn't mean that you are she. You are Rin, but sometimes probably when I'm in danger, you may be able to remember Emi's knowledge. I understand your friend, Kagome, is the reincarnation of another priestess, Kikyo, was it? They, as much as you and Emi, are two different beings that happened to have the same soul. Emi was a very skillful fighter who never hesitate to kill whatever or whoever harms us. She knew nothing about healing, couldn't take pity of an injured person, demon, or animal, she could see it as nature's will. Emi, as I do, hated travelling. We preferred to stay in our castle enjoying the luxuries of our lives. I think, in personality, the only thing you have in common is your expertise in making me angry, although you make me less angry than she could. We were always fighting, in a playful way. But in looks, you two are like twins. When I first saw, I couldn't stop myself from whispering her name. You didn't hear me, but Sesshoumaru did and he'd been pestering me about it this past weeks."

Rin saw the girl in the drawing. Emi had long slightly curly black hair, big chocolate eyes, a heart-shaped face, with a small nose with the tip going slightly up, rosy cheeks, and pink full lips. _If I had dog ears on my head, we could be twins. Although I think my face had never showed such an angry expression, well I hope not. _

"She got the looks of her father and my mother's attitude. Another thing you don't have in common. You are sweet, maybe too sweet, while Emi was almost always angry, only with me she showed other emotions, much like Sesshoumaru with you, I believe." Rin blushed at her comment and looked away. She hasn't notice the small body sleeping in Hosshimaru's futon, until now. She arced and eyebrow and turned her head toward Hosshimaru. "Mmm, he hasn't told you, am I right?"

"Who didn't tell me what?" Hosshimaru stood up and took the infant in the futon.

"You've been awake this all time, have you? Noisy little thing," the demon said teasingly to the infant and pinched its nose. "I want you to meet my son, Takahiro." The female sat down near the human so she could see the infant in her arms better. He had silver hair, amber eyes, and a moon and star mark in his forehead.

"Is he, is he… the mark in his forehead. The star is the same as yours and-and the moon i-is…?"

"Do you mean to ask if he's Sesshoumaru's son?" Rin nodded. "Yes."

"Oh." Hosshimaru laughed making Takahiro to laugh as well.

"Fear not, my Rin. As I told you before, I'm not the lady of the castle, which means I am not Sesshoumaru's mate." At Rin's confused expression, she laughed more. "Lesson two of the day. In the demon world, a male of high rank, such as Sesshoumaru, has to choose the female that can give him the best heir, but say female doesn't have to become his mate, if he doesn't want it that way.

Twelve years ago, Sesshoumaru's mother made him choose a woman, because his empire had increased considerably after he wielded Batsaiga. She made the suggestion that I could give him a powerful heir, for she knew my desire of becoming a mother. After much pestering on his mother, he accepted and I specified I didn't want to be his mate. I remember he scuffed at me after I said that. Some months later Takahiro was born."

"Wait, what? Some months? How old is he?"

"In human years he will be eleven in some months, but as demons age slower, he acts and looks like a one year old. I, myself, am over a half-century-old in human years, but look about twenty-five, I think."

"H-How old is Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Mmmm, he is older than me, but I don't how much. When I met him he looked about sixteen and acted like a ten year old. Now, he looks about your age, but acts much more immature, dare I say. Males are always so immature, compare to females. And he, being, a full daiyoukai, ages even slower." Rin smiled and caress Takahiro's hair. _As soft as his._

The women stayed silent for a while, gazing at the infant, when a knock interrupted their peace.

"Could you hold him?"

"I-I, of course!" Rin took Takahiro, who smiled at her, while Hoshimaru opened the door.

"Hosshimaru-sama, the people you called for have arrived."

"Oh, they're early. Rin come, I think you will like to see our visitors."

Demon and human walked to the main plaza where Rin could see a figure with a characteristic red kimono staring to a white robed, silver haired demon.

"Rin! I've missed you so much." Ren yelled while running toward her. "I haven't been able to make any friends, they are all so simple minded."

"And who are you?" Hosshimau asked.

"My name is Ren and I'm the son of the half-demon InuYasha and the priestess Kagome."

"Mmmm, with that attitude and pride you definitely resemble your uncle." Ren blushed and grabbed Rin's leg. _Oh, look at that, he even has your same taste!_ Sesshoumaru scowled at her, earning a laugh from Hosshimaru.

"Excuse me, the letter wasn't very long and didn't explain why we were called here… So, um, could you explain?" Kagome asked.

"Oh yes, how rude of me. My name is Hosshimaru and I'm second in command in this castle. You must be the priestess, Kagome, am I right?" She nodded. "And you are Sesshoumaru's half brother, InuYasha." The brothers growled. "Now, if you could follow me to the war room? There I'll explain why I had summoned you here. I'm sure you won't mind Rin looking after your infants."

"Not at all." Kagome said and put Aiko down; the girl took Rin's right hand.

"What's her name?"

"Aiko." Rin answered the demon. "She's the same age as Takahiro." Behind them, Sesshoumaru's eyes opened in surprise; he hadn't realized that Rin was holding his son.

"And who is this beautiful baby?" The priestess asked.

"Takahiro, our son."

"Our?" InuYasha and Kagome asked at the same time.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru's and mine."

"What?!" They yelled, making Takahiro cry because of the hurt the scream provoked in his sensitive ears. But Rin managed to calm him in seconds, which surprised the baby demon's parents because it was difficult to stop him after he'd started crying.

"I'll explain later." _Really, Sesshoumaru! Are ashamed of your son? Why is it that no one knows about him? They are his uncle and aunt! _

"…" Hosshimaru sighed deeply and headed toward the war room, with a very stunned Kagome and InuYasha behind her and an angry Sesshoumaru before her.

"Come on kids, let's go play in my room." Rin said to the smiling infants.

After some good hours of playing and telling stories, the kids were asleep. Kagome was the first to come for her son and daughter and, even though Rin was dying to know what they talked about, they didn't talk much, so not to wake up the kids. When Hosshimaru came by, Rin asked her if she knew where Sesshoumaru could be; the female demon went to Rin's opened window that had a view to the fighting room and took a deep breath.

"He's in the forest. Take the path second from the last, on the right hand; it'll led you a clearing, he's resting there."

"Thank you!"

"Take your dagger, Sesshoumaru is rather grumpy with people that disturb his rest."

Rin laughed, "I always carry my dagger with me."

Hosshimaru never considered herself a noisy person, but this was a too good an opportunity to let it pass. After Rin left the room, she sprinted to her hot spring, where she could sit comfortably and listen to the conversation of the pair.

Sesshoumaru was resting in one of the forest's clearing with his back against a tree. It matter not that the forest behind his castle was quite open, he still felt confined to the castle. He much rather be traveling his lands, hearing the sounds of the woods and gazing at the moon, while his mind thought about nothing and everything. The daiyoukai took a deep breath and the smell of the wood, the grass, water running, and flowers entered his nose. He smelt again; the smell of flowers was peculiar. Rin. He saw as the girl passed him by and into the clearing. She turned around in a circular way until her eyes found his.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! I didn't see you there!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I apologize for bothering you while resting, but I have something important to say, to ask." She waited for a response.

"Speak."

"I promise I won't take long."

"I hardly think so."

"…"

"Speak."

"Mmmm, yes. I-I was w-w-wondering, whyyounevertoldmeabout Takahiro?" She said in a rush, at Sesshoumaru's hard gaze she repeated her question more slowly. "Why you never told me about your son, about Takahiro?"

"You didn't need to know."

"…I didn't need…" Rin took a deep breath to calm her anger, she had spent all afternoon playing with the kids and wondering how is it that until now she found about Takahiro. _And on top of all I'm someone's reincarnation. Emi's._ "Why you never told InuYasha-san or Kagome-chan? They are his relatives and Takahiro deserves to know about his uncle and aunt, are you a-a-ashamed of your son?" _I shouldn't have said that! Rin, stupid girl! _Sesshoumaru almost gaped at Rin, his face was as stoic as always but she could see the surprise in his eyes, which turned to pure anger. He stood up and went to stand right in front of her.

"You defy me?! You, Rin?!" he almost growled. "This is Hosshimaru's doing."

"Wha-what? Do you think me so simple minded that anyone can influence me? Everyone at the village thought me a simple girl whose mind was easy to control. 'She probably got the attitude from the half-demon. Rin is so naïve, she could believe anything. Poor girl, still waiting for that demon to come and get her, no man will want her if she keeps rejecting them. She will end up all lonely and old. Rin, stop being so childish.' Everyone, _everyone_, thought me childish, simple minded, naïve! And then I came here and was treated as an adult and no one said a thing about me not being married or having babies, of being naïve! And now, _you_ of all people treat me like this! Why did I have to found out about Takahiro and me being this Emi's reincarnation from my tutor?! Did you think I was too simple minded to understand? Did you plan to never tell me?" After her long and loud speech, Rin was left breathless and panting.

"Emi's reincarnation? Explain yourself, what does this means!" At Sesshoumaru's angered command, Rin controlled her breathing and told him Hosshimaru's story about Emi. "You never met her, my lord? Not even saw the drawing Hosshimaru-sama has?"

"I must have not being in the castle when Hosshimaru came with the bodies and no, neither her or my mother, ever talked about her."

"Life in the castle is full of secrets." Rin whispered. "I apologize for yelling and for saying such horrible things, but Rin hates it when people treat her as a mere child. And she was… angry because she thought you didn't trust her with your son."

"This Sesshoumaru trusts you."

"…Then why, my lord, why you never told me? I understand that at the age of ten I couldn't have understand your situation with Hosshimaru-sama, but later on I could perfectly understand it. You never talked about him. Are you really asha-"

"I'm very proud of my son. I didn't think you could need to know. You were never a meddler." He said with a scowl.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is angry." Rin stated in a whisper.

"Hn."

"I apologize, but I will never understand why you hid this. I don't like secrets." _I don't like secrets between us._

"That's a childish thought. Everyone has secrets."

_Childish. He thinks me childish. Well, I have acted that way, I even spoke in third person, but he made me angry._ "I'm not. And wishing for trust and openness is not childish."

"Being stubborn is."

"Then, you are as childish as I am."

"You are being impertinent, disrespectful, and you have disturbed this Sesshoumaru's rest and angered him. Leave before I do something regrettable." Rin saw his amber eyes flash red and decided not to put his words to test. After all, she didn't get her answer and thought it better to leave before she said something stupider. When she was at the entrance to the path leading to the castle, she whispered a good night and turned at the sound of wind. Sesshoumaru had taken flight and Rin was sure he wasn't going to the castle. She ran all the way back with tears falling from her eyes. Hosshimaru stopped her and Rin hugged her.

"Lesson three of the day, the world, including that of the demons and humans, is full of secrets."

**A/N: Well there you have it! Two mysteries resolved in one chapter and poor Rin learnt some important lesson the hard way. I imagined Rin playing with the kids for hours while thinking all the time about these newfound aspects of her life; she being someone's reincarnation and Takahiro, anyone could freak out because of these and she took her frustration with stubborn Sesshoumaru. A very bad decision really. **

**You have to wait for what life at the castle will be like now; that Rin met Takahiro and after her big fight with Sesshoumaru. Also, did Sesshoumaru really left the castle? When will he come back? Will he come back? **

**Thank you for reading and wait for next Friday and the seventh chapter,**

**Xoxo Pritxka. **


	7. Chapter 7

**7) Chapter seven: Young at heart. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

Sesshoumaru really left and, even though, Hosshimaru was more than capable to organize the search in Aokigahara in a month's time, she still couldn't believe he left in such an important time. _He's so selfish and childish and stubborn._ But Hosshimaru was angrier about the fact that he left Rin feeling guilty over something that was not her fault. _The girl only wanted some answers, answers that I, myself, want. _Hosshimaru didn't understand either why Sesshoumaru refused to ever telling anyone outside the castle about their son. She understood that he was in no talking manners with InuYasha and could find it unnecessary to tell them. She understood that, while Rin lived in the village, she was in no need to know and that if she never asked, then he could never tell. But she thought he could have them met when the girl came to the castle, and it was many days after that Rin found out. _And it was sort of an accident, as I thought Takahiro was being bathed and not in my room._ She must have had quite a shock to find out about Emi and Takahiro, all in one day. It was a shock indeed and the fight with Sesshoumaru only made it worse. Rin locked herself in her room for more than a day, until Hosshimaru dragged her out and ordered her to get back to her training, The girl started training, eating, and getting to her lessons, but she was not the same. She was completely depressed, only the kids could make her smile a bit. But Hosshimaru was sick of it and today she was going to sit her down and could try to understand why she was acting like the walking dead. The demon had heard the pair's argument and it was not nearly near any of the fights she have had with Sesshoumaru.

"Good afternoon, Hosshimaru-sama." Rin saluted in her new depressing way. Today they were supposed to study dining etiquette, but she decided to postpone that lesson for a more important talk.

"Come, Rin. Have tea with me." Hosshimaru picked up her cup and took a sip; she unlike other demons has a liking for some human food like tea, especially the fruity ones.

"What about the lesson?"

"Today we are going to learn how to drink tea." She said with a smile hoping to receive one in return. _Not such luck._

"Ok." Hosshimaru sighed and set down her cup. Rin sat in the cushion in front of her. They were in her study and outside the wind was blowing softly, the birds were singing, and, overall, was a beautiful day. "Let's get this outside. It's a beautiful day to spend it within walls." She called for a servant to take their tea to her garden and they went down through the stairs in her balcony. The demon saw as the human girl sipped her tea and looked at nothing in particular. "Rin, please, I don't like you this way."

"What do you mean, Hosshimaru-sama?"

"This! You're not smiling or laughing or speaking! You… you are like an anti-Rin! Why?"

"I'll try to smile more. I didn't realize I was being impolite."

"What? No, no, no. You are very polite, that hasn't change. But why aren't you laughing or speaking more? I don't think I have heard you say more than a few sentences in three days. Are you depressed over something?"

"Am I drinking my tea correctly?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I thought this was to be a lesson on how to drink tea."

"Don't play dumb, you know there's no such thing as drinking tea lessons. Just don't make sounds while drinking it and you already knew that. Answer my question, Rin. Are you depressed?"

"I don't want to talk about this."

"Please Rin, let me help you."

"Why?"

"… You said it yourself, we are… friends. Friends help each other, right?"

"They do." Rin gazed at Hosshimaru and saw true concern in her eyes. "I'm not, exactly, depressed. I'm just acting my proper age. I realized that I'm not longer a child and that if I want others to treat me as an adult, I must stop acting childish."

"Is this about Sesshoumaru calling you childish? Because your said it, he's childish." Rin flinched, it seemed she didn't want to talk about Sesshoumaru. "And being a happy talkative person is not childish. It's being Rin. Be yourself! You are a mature young girl and you're privileged for being able to maintain some of your child self with you. You are young at heart, but know when to behave as a responsible adult and when to let go and be a playful girl. Don't lose such a precious thing for some silly comment of an angered, stubborn, and stupid demon." Hosshimaru gazed at Rin's sad eyes and saw that the girl was getting the message but it still wasn't enough. "I realized I never actually thanked you for saving my life. Not only for that, but you have helped all of us very much. You helped all of our wounded soldiers and because of you, we know there are demons from the east hiding in Aokigahara. Since you came here, you have helped us all a great deal and have made our lives quite shiny with your politeness and, your so call childish, smiles. No one here smiles much and even less in wartime. It doesn't matter that we are demons, we still need a source of happiness from time to time, you know. It's one of the reason Sesshoumaru didn't let you go. He may not show it, but he likes them, the smiles."

"I know." Rin whispered. "His eyes soften when I smile." She bent her head to hide her eyes with her bangs, but her smile was very visible to Hosshimaru.

"So why stop smiling."

"He's not here to see them."

"So, while you lived in the village and never saw him for, what, seven years? You never smiled? How depressing." Rin laughed a bit and turned her head toward the hot spring.

"I missed him so much all those years and never understood why he never came back. Now, I know he was busy with all the battle prior the war."

"Well, yes, he was busy, but the main reason he stopped going was because I told him so."

"What? Why?!"

"The east was watching and if they saw him going to the village, you could have been in danger. He wanted the minimal people to know about you, for your safety. It's the same with Takahiro, but I must say not even I understand why he didn't tell you about my son once you were inside the castle."

"I think he thought I couldn't understand your relationship." _He was worried about me! That was why he never came for so many years! Why he didn't say so?!_

"Nonsense. Sesshoumaru knows you're an intelligent woman."

"Hmn." Hosshimaru laughed at Rin's way of answering. She laughed so hard she almost fell down. "What's so funny?"

"You two are so alike! I've seen that your arced your eyebrow, like he does, when you're intrigued and just now, you made a sound that he does when he doesn't agree with something. It's really amusing too see it!"

"Well, you act like his mother, must of the time."

"I know, I know. It annoys Sesshoumaru so much!" She said between laughs.

"You two enjoy annoying him."

"It's very amusing! You should try it one day!"

"I rather not." _Annoying others for fun is childish, is it not? These demons are strange creatures. People are strange. _

"So, you really aren't depressing over Sesshoumaru's departure? Because he always leaves like this and then returns."

"For how long does he go?"

Hosshimaru shrugged. "Depends on how angry he was."

"Ohh." _Damn! She's depressed again. These humans are such difficult creatures. _

"Rin. I'm no expert in Sesshoumaru, but I think I get him a little. I believe he's not angry with you but with himself."

"He never once yelled at me or threatened me. He never hurt me, nor physically or emotionally. I think he's very angry with me." Rin said remembering his beautiful amber eyes flashing red and his scowl. She remembered him calling her _childish_. She hated it when the villagers mock her about playing with the other kids and for gathering flowers and making crowns. She never thought_ he_ could call her that.

"He left because he knows how to fight and kill, but he doesn't know how to apologize. And he knows he hurt your feelings and that he's got to apologize to you for that. Right now, he is probably flying somewhere regretting ever saying such things to _you_, of all people. Sesshoumaru had a very stressing meeting just before you went to him and he took his anger on you. I should apologize, for it was me who didn't tell you. I should have stopped you from talking to him. I…I…apolo-"

"There's no need for that. He doesn't have to apologize either. He did hurt my feelings, but some things he said were the truth. I was disrespectful. Anyway, I could never ask him to say sorry and he must know this."

"You are too good a person. Never change Rin, for any demon or human. Always stay true to yourself, stay young at heart." Rin smiled at Hosshimaru and thanked her, she felt better now, but still needed some time to think. Rin thanked her for the tea and left the garden. Hosshimaru went back to her study to continue on her war plans. At least, she had accomplished something. Rin was smiling.

The knocking at her door stopped her from her work; she sniffed the air and recognized the scent as that one of her personal servant.

"What is it?" She said with the door still closed.

"The priestess Kagome wishes to speak to you."

"Bring her here and some tea." What could she want? Hosshimaru made space in her table for the tea and waited for the other woman. She had some time to speak with her and found the miko to be a very intelligent and peculiar person. Sometimes her form of speech was odd and some of the things she talked about were very unusual. _Also she's always carrying that strange sack and some of the clothes I've seen on her are bizarre, to say the least. They must be from her time._ Hosshimaru found the relationship between InuYasha and Kagome quite different too. There wasn't a time when she didn't hear them arguing, but the scent of arousal was in the air all the time, as well. _Some singular fetish, indeed._

Hosshimaru was expecting only Kagome but was surprised to see her with InuYasha. The miko saluted her and sat in front of her. InuYasha, being his usual self, just sat and ignored her. At first, Hosshimaru thought it was just his way of being with strangers but now she was sure that the hanyou didn't like her at all, why she did not know.

"What do you wish to speak about?"

"It's about the journey to Aokigahara. I understand you need InuYasha's red tessaiga to break the dragon's barrier and, even though, I prefer to be with him, I can't leave our children alone for such a long time. I think you must understand, being a mother yourself…" Kagome explained to the demon. Hosshimaru gazed at the couple in front of her. InuYasha looked just as Rin describe him, with his red robe, silver hair, amber eyes, and almost perpetual scowl. Hosshimaru had seen him with another face just when he smiled at his children or Kagome. But the girl, that was a different story. Rin had described her well, long black hair, blue eyes, and a tall curvy figure. It was the eyes that surprised her. The miko, although twenty-eight, looked no older than nineteen, but her eyes showed wisdom far longer than her real age. She looked cunning and when she gazed into her eyes, Hosshimaru felt as if her soul and heart was being read, scanned, as she was doing right now.

"Yes, I do understand. I'm staying in the castle not only for my son's sake but because I must plan other battles and continue pursuing of ending this war. Also, I prefer to stay here. I don't like traveling. So, you will return to the village and InuYasha stays here?"

"No, Kagome and the pups stay here until I leave and while I look for this barrier you talked about."

"InuYasha. What he means is if it's ok we stay here?"

"I don't mean that. I meant what I said. They stay here safe or I won't go."

"InuYasha! How dare you?! You're so rude, really-"

"You may stay in the castle." Kagome and InuYasha stared at Hosshimaru. "We need InuYasha to cut this barrier. I was also counting on your spiritual powers, but I understand you want to stay with your children. As for staying in the castle, I was going to propose it myself. I know InuYasha won't be able to battle properly if he is concerned about his mate and pups, and you will be safer in the castle than in the village. We don't know if the east knows about InuYasha being Sesshoumaru's brother, but if they find about it they may use any of you for their cause. Is your room good enough for a long stay?"

"Ah…ahhh. Yes! Yes, it's perfect." Kagome said after regaining her speech. "Thank you."

"Hmm. I'm the one who thanks you." InuYasha stared at Hosshimaru as if trying to see inside her head. "What?" She had had it with him; his suspicion was more than annoying.

"Hnm. Thank you," he said looking at Kagome's head now. Hosshimaru was taken aback; a thank you was the last thing she expected from him. Kagome turned her face up to gazed at her mate and smiled sweetly at him, receiving a smile back. At that moment, Hosshimaru felt like a third wheel and felt her jealously return. _What could I give to have someone look at me like that, with so much love… _"Well if that was all, then I will ask you to leave as I have many business to attend to." Hosshimaru say coldly. Kagome and InuYasha broke their trance and stood to leave. Kagome looked wonderingly at Hosshimaru, but the demon was already immersed reading a scroll. _Strange of her to receive us and offers us tea and then acts so coldly. Kagome thanked her again and left the demon to her work._

Meanwhile, Rin was in her room, writing. She had talked to Kagome about her worries over Sesshoumaru's absent, about feeling guilty because of their fight. Kagome advised her to write down what she felt and what she could like to say to Sesshoumaru. So, Rin took the set of quills and ink her lord gave her as a present. The year she received this present was the one she turned eighteen and, now she knew, when the war started. _Even though he was in middle of war he remembered me and sent Ah-Un with a gift._ Rin felt a tear escaped her eye and unto the scroll.

_Dear Sesshoumaru-sama, _And so Rin started her letter. It took six scrolls, three hours, and many tears to let out all she was feeling, all her regret, anger, guilt, sadness, everything. When she was done she was supposed to burn the letter but she couldn't. She instead twined the scrolls together, bound them with a cord, and hid it in the truck where she kept her healing herbs and potions._ Kagome was right; Rin did felt better after that. Now maybe I'll be able to sleep properly. _Rin fell asleep, feeling more at peace with herself. While quite a few miles from her a certain demon lord was trying without success to rest his tired body.

**A/N: Well, hello there! Thank you for reading the chapter! **

**This chapter was without action, just as Rin's life is going to be for a while. I wanted the chapter to reflect her mood right now and so I made it a bit slow, without aggressive and action fill movements, just talks that were to uncover some mysteries and to show an overall picture of how life in the castle will be for some months. **

**Hope it wasn't boring and thank you again,**

**Pritxka. **


	8. Chapter 8

8) **Chapter eight: Subconscious heartache. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

"Even though the East declared war to us only four years ago, the battles at the border started some seven years before. After the hanyou Naraku died, all the demons that were hiding because of fear to him came out provoking fights for territory. The strongest demons tried to kill Sesshoumaru to gain his lands; a useless act because Sesshoumaru is one, if not the most powerful, demon in this lands. The rumor of him having a ward living in a human village started getting around and when one of our messengers heard that demons from the east were attacking human villages for no reason, Hosshimaru convinced Sesshoumaru of stopping his visits. When it was found that your village was about to be attack you were brought here. And now I'm explaining this to you," Daichikutsu turned to look at a sleeping Rin, "wasting my time as you're asleep again. Rin. Rin. Rin!"

"Yes, I'm listening, please g on." Rin said with a yawn and fell asleep again. Daichikutsu poked her on the arm, waking her up. "The lesson's done? How quickly." Rin said sleepily.

"The lesson is as good as done because you are sleeping again, Rin. Am I so boring or are you still having problems sleeping?"

"You're not boring at all and I'm truly sorry, Daichikutsu-sensei." It had been almost a month since he left and every night Rin went to bed dreading falling asleep as she could have the most horrible nightmares. She was sure that Daichikutsu woke her just before the beautiful dream she was having could become a nightmare.

"The potion isn't working?" She drank a potion to help her sleep, but it didn't stop her mind from breaking her heart every night and it was tiring.

"It is, but my mind won't relaxed and I'm sleepy all day."

"Go to sleep then, after all with you in this state I can't teach."

"I'm sorry Daichikutsu-sensei." The demon shooed her and Rin went to her bedroom to try and a have at least a little sleep. After so many weeks, her body was showing the lack of sleep. She had perpetual dark circles under her eyes, her lips never turned up in a smile, and her hair was lacking its usual shine. _She_ was lacking her usual shine. Rin didn't understand what was going on. At first she thought that it was her fight with him and his absence that was provoking this, but never in the village was she like this. The girl fell on her futon looking at the patch of clouds that was visible from her open window.

_That one looks just as his mokomoko, all large and fluffy. It's such a beautiful day, so warm, and the flowers smell so nice. Maybe I should just sleep right here, although the grass tickles a bit. Ahmmm? What are those? Butterflies? They're…shining! How beautiful!_

_Come._

_What? Who…who said that?_

_Come with us._

_A are y you the ones calling to me? But butterflies can't talk!_

_Follow._

_Wait! Don't go! _

_Cooommmeee._

_Oh! I better hurry. Where am I? What happened to the meadow? Mmm…shiny butterflies? Where are you? Wha-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ouch! My ankle! Gods, is it broken? Ouuuuuu! It is broken! Now, what am I'm going to do?! Someone! Help me, please! I'm alone, all alone. I better go back to the meadow. A stick! That'll help me to walk! Ohh, it hurts! All right I came from that path, so the meadow is in that way. _

_Wha… why can't I move? Ouch! Something…ouuu… what's burning me?! Ou! Stop, please! Ahh! Stop! Stop Stooopppppp! _

_Wh-wh-what is this? Spider webs? Pl-please get them away! They are cutting and burning my body! Pleaaaseee! _

_Rin._

_Sesshoumaru-sama! Please help me!_

_Riinn._

_Se-sesshoumaruu? No! No! Not again, not again! I'm sick of this! Please stop this! I don't want to see you die again! Y-y-you promised this could stop!_

_Rinnn._

_Noooooooooooo_

"Rin! She's not waking up!"

"Her ankle's broken!"

"Get her out of the spider webs, they're poisonous! InuYasha, your fire-rat robe! Quick!"

"I'll take her inside."

"In our bedroom, InuYasha. And mind her ankle! Hosshimaru-sama, please get Rin's healing kit from her bedroom!" Hosshimaru ran toward Rin's bedchambers while Kagome went to hers and InuYasha's bedroom where he was laying Rin on their futon. Her daughter was crying loudly and hiding her eyes behind her hands. Ren was standing in shock looking at his favorite person in the world with all her body full of little cuts and something green oozing out of them. "InuYasha, get them out of here!"

"Noo! I want to help! What happened to Rin?!"

"Come on, Ren. You'll be more helpful outside, let Kagome work."

"Mom, please heal her, please!" Kagome gave him a reassuring smile and turned to start her work. First, she cut open Rin's kimono, which was already in pieces. All her body was full of little cuts, they weren't deep, but it was the poison what worried Kagome. She cleaned one and immediately more poison came out. _This is shouki, not poison! I must purify it!_ The miko took one of her arrows and was about to pierce one of the cuts when a screamed from behind her made her stop.

"What are you doing?!" Hosshimaru yelled. Kagome didn't respond and proceeded to do her work. As soon as the arrow went in, the miasma from the cut and of some around it purified. She kept doing this until all of the shouki was purified. Hosshimaru gaped at the miko and was able to snapped out of it after the third time she called her name.

"If you're not going to be able to help then leave the room and bring me someone else who can!"

"What can I do?"

"Bring a servant here. I need more hands." Hosshimaru came back with Moriko and three women began cleaning all the cuts, putting a green ointment that the priestess got from Rin's kit unto the cuts, and some sort of bandage with glue that she called Band-Aids. Everything was going fine and Kagome was sure that the last thing left was mending her ankle, when Rin started to convulse.

"What's happened?! What's wrong with her?!"

"She's convulsing, but I don't know why! I purified all the miasma!"

"She's not convulsing. Her mind is under attack." Sesshoumaru's mother said while walking into the room. _I can't believe I just came back and the first thing I found is this. These people are so problematic._ "You may have purified the shouki, but it's worked is done. It targeted her mind. By the time you found her, she was deep inside an illusion, a nightmare must probably from the way her body is shaking." The female demon explained with a bored tone.

"What can we do?!" The women exclaimed.

"Nothing."

"What! She's suffering! How can you be so nonchalant about this?!" Hosshimaru yelled.

"Oh, I'm worried. But there is nothing we can do."

"Then who?! Who can help her?!" Kagome yelled.

"No one but herself. She must realize that she's dreaming otherwise she'll lose her mind."

"What!" All the other yelled.

"You must stop that. You're hurting my ears."

"Ugh! I'll kill you!" Hosshimaru growled and was standing in front of the other demon in the blink of an eye.

"Why me? I wasn't the one who did this to her. Actually, it's your fault she's like this. For the girl to be experimenting such realistic illusions, someone must have been giving her a mousou potion for quite sometime now."

"Someone has been poisoning Rin?" At the sound of her name the girl settled back, but she was sweating profusely. "Moriko out, now!"

"What! You think it was me?! I'll never-"

"I'm questioning everyone in the castle and after all you are her direct servant. You give her food and drinks."

"I could never-"

"Do as I said and get out now!" Hosshimaru yelled at Moriko. "Look for an antidote." She ordered the daiyoukai.

"You give me no orders. And as I said only the girl can save herself." With that, the inu left the room followed by Hosshimaru and leaving a shocked Kagome who had started crying while cleaning the sweat from Rin's body. InuYasha, smelling Kagome's tears, went into their room and stopped at the door because Rin was completely naked.

"Sit!" Kagome yelled when she looked at a blushing InuYasha standing the door and put a blanket on Rin's body.

"Whyyyyyy?"

"You may enter now."

"Wha-what happened, Kagome?" He asked, not commenting about her sit command, because of her tears and Rin's state.

"Didn't you hear?"

"Ummm, yes." He whispered with his ears flat on his head. "Is it true? There's no antidote?"

"We experience our share of illusions and the only way out was for us alone to realize it wasn't real. So, no."

"That's not completely true. When I fell into Kaio's illusion you helped me get out of it. Your voice got me out."

"Tha-that's true! Oh, InuYasha that's one of the reason why I love you! You always save me!" Kagome put her arms around his neck and gave him a sweet, quick kiss. "Rin stopped shaking when Hosshimaru said her name!" The miko turned and took Rin's hand. "Rin, please wake up. Ren and Aiko are worried sick about you, as well as Hosshimaru and even Sesshoumaru's mother is-"

"What?" InuYasha asked when Kagome fell silent abruptly.

"She squeezed my hand." _Could be because I said his name?_ "Sesshoumaru." _She did it again!_ "Rin wake up, Sesshoumaru is coming! You don't want him to worry for you, right? InuYasha go get him! Go get Sesshoumaru, he might make her wake up!"

"What, me? Come on, Kagome! He won't listen, he's a stubborn bastard and-"

"Go now if you don't want me to say you know what a hundred times in a row!"

"Wha… what! How dare you?! I do it, I go now!" He exclaimed seeing Kagome's angered face.

"Did you hear that, Rin-chan? InuYasha is going to bring Sesshoumaru! Aren't you happy? Don't you want to wake up? You know that what you're seeing is not true is all an illusion. Look, Rin! Ren and Aiko came to see you. Won't you smile to them?" "Rin." At Ren's voice, Rin let out a whimper and started to convulse again. Kagome took her kids to Rin's bedroom and ordered them to stay put, when she went back Rin had stopped moving. Kagome kept talking to Rin, hoping that InuYasha could find Sesshoumaru before it was too late. Meanwhile, Hosshimaru and Daichikutsu were interrogating everyone that had access to Rin's food and drinks. And InuYasha was running toward his brother's scent with an annoying Jaken hanging from his left leg.

Some miles from there, said brother was finally able to rest, his back against a tree facing a meadow full of flowers.

_Rin could like this. _

_Yes she could. Did I surprise you? My, my I never thought this day would come. Sesshoumaru was surprised._

_What are you doing here?_

_I don't know. I was sent here._

_By whom?_

_No one in particular. _

_You're more annoying than I remember._

_Oh, so you remember me? How touching._

_Hnn. What do you want, Kagura?_

_I don't use that name anymore. I'm Meifeng now._

_Chinese for beautiful wind._

_If you say so. What are you doing here all alone? Where's that little girl? As you said, she could love such a place like this. _

_She's not little anymore._

_Oh, she's grown. She must be a teenage now._

_She's older than a teen._

_A woman then. How interesting. Is she beautiful?_

_…_

_She is then. Why isn't she with you?_

_It's dangerous._

_Mmmm, danger is everywhere Sesshoumaru. _

_What?_

_Danger can be right around the corner._

_What are you implying? Explain!_

_Sesshoumaru-sama! _

_Rin!_

_You should hurry Sesshoumaru._

_Please! Sesshoumaru-sama!_

_Before you lose her forever._

_Sesshoumaruuuu! _

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Please, my lord! Rin is-ugh…" The inu woke up and step on the little demon without realizing it.

"Finally! Get your ass back to the castle an-uugh" Sesshoumaru hit InuYasha and didn't hear all the blabbering. The dream was unnerving and waking up to find his stupid brother ordering him to get back to the castle was enough to make him take flight. He could hear InuYasha cursing while jumping from tree to tree after him.

"Ughhh…" Sesshoumaru looked at his feet and found Jaken sticking there, he took him and sent him back where he would grab to his mokomoko.

"What happened?"

"Milord, Rin is sick. The stupid girl went walking into the forest, broke her ankle, fall into a poisonous spider web. The miko healed her wounds but your lady mother said that Rin is hallucinating. Apparently someone have been giving her a mousou potion for many weeks now." Sesshoumaru's eyes opened in surprise and anger. He was going to kill someone for this! He trusted Hosshimaru to take care of Rin and now she might lose her mind. _You should hurry Sesshoumaru. Before you lose her forever._ "The miko believes you could help her, my lord."

"How?"

"Just speak to her. It seems she responds to your name." InuYasha answered him.

"When did this happen?"

"We found her an hour before the sun was setting."

_It's the middle of the night now. Am I too late? No, she's strong._

"It took you too long to get to me."

"You bastard! You were the one who left her!" Sesshoumaru didn't speak and InuYasha understood it as his way of 'saying' he was right. "She has been having problems sleeping, we all thought it was because she was worrying over your fight. We should have realized something else was going on."

"Yes you should have! Rin is about to lose her mind and is all your fault and now Sesshoumaru-sama is very worried over Rin's sta-"

"Shut up, Jaken."

"I didn't say anything."

"You really are worried about her. You didn't even ask what we were doing here, just took flight to the castle."

"…"

"Rin will be all right. She's a strong girl."

After that, all fell silent, but they were thinking about the sick girl that awaited them. Well, all except the little demon hanging from his lord's mokomoko who couldn't stop thinking that if Rin did lose her mind Sesshoumaru-sama was going to kill him.

**A/N: Too cliché? Hope not :) I believe romance needs cliché so don't kill me! After all, I did promise there were going to be moments when Rin could be save by Sesshoumaru, although we still don't know if he's going to get to her in time…**

**Thanks for reading and hugs to everyone who is nice :D**

**Pritxka. **

**P.S: mousou means illusion in Japanese and is read just like I spell it. It should be written mōsō, but this 'ō' sounds ou, just like with Sesshōmaru's name. **


	9. Chapter 9

**9) Chapter nine: Between illusions and reality.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

He got the scent of Rin even before they have a view of the castle. He didn't like it one bit. Rin's scent was always like flowers, sunshine, and laughter; but right now he got the scent of fear, sweat, and shouki. The scent of fear was the most terrible. In all the times that Rin was in danger during their travels together, he never smelt in her such a terrible fear. She's terrified. Sesshoumaru glared at InuYasha and for the first time the hanyou didn't glared back. He smelt it too. The half demon and the kappa demon set foot on the first step of the castle's entrance, but Sesshoumaru kept going where Rin was. He had forgotten all about the last time they talked and all he could think about was stopping the illusions and beheading whoever did this. He got Hosshimaru's scent and didn't even let her start speaking.

"Out of my way." He growled and pushed her in a way that, if she hasn't been demon, could have end up in a hole in the floor. The daiyoukai opened the shoji and found the miko piercing a purifying arrow into one of the many cuts on Rin's body; Rin's bare body. Sesshoumaru fought hard to conceive his blush and averted his eyes only once. He had seen many demoness without clothes; he didn't understand why he was acting in such a juvenile way. After mere seconds of thinking about this, he remember he had been told that the miko had already purified the entire miasma, so why was still more of it coming out of Rin's body?

"Damn! Where the hell is it?!" Sesshoumaru never expected the priestess to have such bad mouth. She still hadn't realized he was in the room, too immersed in her work. "INUYASHA!" The inuyoukai flinched out of reflex; the unexpected and very high scream of the priestess hurt his sensible ears. He heard the door opening and, immediately, grabbed the clothes nearest to him to covered Rin's body, making Kagome realize about his presence in the room.

"What?!" InuYasha asked to Kagome who was gaping at Sesshoumaru. "What?!"

"Ahhhh… oh yes! I need you to find the main source of the miasma, but since Sesshoumaru is here I don't need you anymore." InuYasha left grumbling about being called unnecessarily. "For how long had you been standing the-"

"Here" He said, punting just under Rin's left breast, still covered by the cloth.

"Ahh? Oh, right! Out of the way! And turned around!" Sesshoumaru knew why she was ordering him to turn and suspected she couldn't bare Rin if he didn't turn, so to agile the process he did as told but not without sending a cold look toward the miko. He heard the cloth falling to the floor, followed by an agonized whimper from Rin; in a second he was by her side. The priestess had plunged the arrow into a very small cut where he had pointed and he smelt, more than saw, how all of the shouki disappeared from Rin's body. She purified it. The miko let out a long sigh and, ignoring him, started to clean her body with a cloth. "Talk to her. That's why you are here, after all." Sesshoumaru just stayed in the same position next to Rin's head. "Or did you come just to stare at her?" The miko asked irritably; Sesshoumaru just arced his eyebrow. "She's having terrible nightmares and your voice- "

"I know." Rin's hand twitched which went unnoticed to the miko.

"Then drop the STUPID ACT AND SAY SOMETHING, FOR GODS' SAKE!"

"Out!"

"I'm not going any-"

"Out!" Rin whimpered again, catching Kagome's attention.

"Rin-chan, look who's here! Sesshoumaru came back, open your eyes. He's here, as stubborn and stoic as always." Kagome said sweetly while covering Rin's body with some clean towels. Sesshoumaru glared at her and ordered her to leave once again. Kagome understood that he couldn't say a thing to Rin while she was in the room. The curious part of her wanted to stay and listen to what he could say; could he apologize? The miko left the demon and the girl alone, after all InuYasha had a good hearing.

Once the annoying miko left, Sesshoumaru looked down to Rin's sweaty face. He knew the hanyou could be listening, as well as all the others demons. The inu locked the room and sat next to the sleeping girl's head. He lowered his head to whisper in her ear, but didn't say a word. What could he tell her? This was complete nonsense his voice couldn't possibly help at all.

_You should hurry Sesshoumaru. Before you lose her forever._

_Damn you,_ he thought. "Rin, wake up." There was no response. "You're being a nuisance. Wake up." Still nothing. "Rin." Sesshoumaru took a deep breath and lowered his head more; his lips mere inches from her ear. "Smile for me."

Her hand moved. He thought of taking it, but settle for moving her hair from her sweaty face. "Did you hear me? You know I won't repeat myself." Her breath quickened. "Rin, smile for this Sesshoumaru." She let out a whimper.

_Sesshoumaru? How? Y you you're dead. H how c can you talk?_

"Wake up now, Rin. What you're seeing is not the reality and I will kill whoever did this to you."

_Not the reality?_

"It's all dreams. I'm here. I'm back."

_Dreams? Sesshoumaru…sama?_

"Wake up. Open your eyes."

_How? Sesshoumaru-sama, please help me!_

"Rin, Rin. Plea-open your eyes now."

_Open my eyes. Is just that easy? And all this will end? No!_

"Don't lose yourself, Rin. Fight!"

_Fight! That's right! I'm not helpless anymore; I'm not a helpless little girl anymore!_

_Yes! You are, you are a burden to him! To everyone! _

"There's something for you here. While traveling, I found a dead yousei demoness, Tenseiga called to me. I brought her back and she gave me an everlasting flower. A gardenia. Come back and see it."

_Gardenia? Does he remember?_

_Nonsense, he does not!_

"You used to pick flowers, but kept only…"

_Gardenias… He does remember…_

_No! You are a bur-_

_SHUT UP!_

"Rin?" Her face had contorted on a look of rage. _This is useless!_

_I'm not a burden! Sesshoumaru said it himself! That I'm not a burden and never had been!_

_He said you're a nuisance!_

_I am! I'm stubborn, childish, and immature, because I'm human! NO, because I'm alive and all living things are a nuisance at times! But I'm also strong and kind and I wish to smile, to smile for Sesshoumaru! _

_He doesn't wish-_

_He does! He said it! I need to wake up, now!_

_NOOOOOOO!_

"Rin?" Unconsciously his hand had taken hers, but he noticed when she gripped it. He was about to take it away, when Rin whispered something so low that not even he could hear it. "Speak up, girl, " he said with a very small smile on his lips.

"Sesshoouumaruu…" His smile widened.

"Hmm?"

"Y you a are not dead, a a are y you?"

Those were her nightmares about? "Don't say such silly things." Rin smiled, making Sesshoumaru's smile to widen more. "Open your eyes now." She opened them slowly. Up above her, she saw the amber eyes, she had dreamt so much about, looked at her and now his smile was not only in his eyes but in his lips too! Rin gasped.

"Y You a are smiling?"

"Hnm." Rin started to laugh, but end up coughing; her throat was very dry. _How long was I unconscious?!_ Someone tried to come into the room, but Sesshoumaru ignored them. He took the basin with water next to the futon; smelled it and, founding nothing odd, gave it to Rin. After drinking some, her throat felt much better.

"Thank you." Sesshoumaru put his hand on her cheek, she lean into it and smiled at him. "Thank you so much…" She whispered, her lips touching his palm. His eyes opened in surprise and then softened; his own smile for her. At the moment, they were in their own world, all alone, even though it seemed all the members of the castle were banging on the locked door.

"Sesshoumaru if you don't open this door right now I'm taking it down!"

"Oh, Hosshimaru. There's no need for that, I'm sure you can just unlock it with your powers… you are a half sorceress, are you not?"

"Sesshoumaru! I need to treat Rin-chan right now! Open up!

"You bastard, I'm taking this door down right now!"

"Better let them inside, the door doesn't deserve such fate." Rin said within giggles. Sesshoumaru growled making Rin laugh outright, but she stopped shortly for the harsh movement hurt her. The inu seeing this decided to let the miko end her treatment and he could hear his stupid brother unsheathing Tessaiga. _He's going to blow up the wall._ Sesshoumaru was about to unlock the door when Hosshimaru did it. She slid the door and found Sesshoumaru standing right in front of her. She saw Rin's eyes opened and pushed him just as he had done an hour ago. "Rin! Your awake!" The demoness dropped unto her knees and hugged her.

"Ouuuu!" Rin yelped. Sesshoumaru grabbed the woman's kimono collar and roughly throw her away.

"Sesshoumaru, really! That's no way of handing a lady!" His mother scowled him.

"Everyone out except for the miko." All started to argue but he stopped them shortly. "OUT!"

"Jeez, not need to scream!" InuYasha said but did as everyone else and left the room.

"Heal her." He ordered but Kagome was already checking the girl. She used a strange looking object that let out a white light and pointed it to Rin's eyes. Then she checked her pulse and her bruised ankle. Rin winced and Sesshoumaru growled.

"You broke your ankle, I mend it while you were unconscious. Not even that kind of pain awoke you. It seems you're all right. The cuts will heal in less than a month. You'll have to apply loads of pomade on your body and a salt bath could help, but I'm sure you know all this. The ankle will take more time to heal, though. And your mind even more. How do you feel?"

"I'm all right now. What happened to me?"

"Someone had been giving you a very powerful mousou potion. This afternoon when your tutor sent you to bed something happened. We found you some miles into the forest with your ankle already broken and in a spider web nest. That's where all these cuts came from. Do you remember anything at all?"

"I went to my room and felt asleep in my futon looking at the clouds and then the nightmares started. I don't remember walking or falling…"

"Mmmmm…Well maybe you'll remember something in some days. For now, you need food and some real sleep. I'll bring you something to eat. From now on all your food and drinks will be first inspected by me. Hosshimaru-sama still hasn't found the culprit and there would be more than one."

"Thank you, Kagome-chan." The miko left the room, Sesshoumaru wanted to go find the one guilty for Rin's suffering himself, but he wasn't about to leave her alone. "I do remember one dream. I was watching the clouds in my dream and one looked like your mokomoko. I was in a flower meadow and then shiny butterflies appeared. They called to me and I followed. I I fell down and I… I broke my ankle! I did walk! I was sleepwalking! That things that cut and burn were the spider webs!"

"What were your nightmares about?"

"…"

"Rin, what were your nightmares about?"

"Y you d dying… over and over again and and in t the m must grotesque wa ways…" She answered between cries.

"Don't. Just forget about it."

"I was a little girl in all of them and couldn't do a thing and you called to me and-"

"Stop. I am all right. You are all right, now."

"You said that to me, before." Sesshoumaru arced his eyebrow. "When I came from the dead the second time…"

"Hnn" That was a day Sesshoumaru didn't like remembering.

"You saved me. You always saved me." Sesshoumaru locked eyes with hers and very low said, "You…did first."

"Here you have it, misou soup. I check it and it's all right, even made it myself. Hope you like it!" Kagome walked in and got the feeling that she just interrupted something important. Sesshoumaru ignored her but Rin had a murderous look on her face. "Ummm, I'll just leave it here and mmm… ok then." Sesshoumaru gave the soup to Rin who drank it in three gulps, burning her throat, with the intention of going back to their conversation and was again interrupted, by Ren this time.

"Rin!" The little kid ran to her and kneeled next to her, ignoring the tall, intimidating demon to his left. "Are you ok, Rin?"

Rin sighed heavily, "Yes Ren, I'm okay. Where's Aiko?"

"Sleeping. She got tired after crying so much."

"Ohhh dear, she saw me?"

"We were playing in the room when father came with you."

"Why were you playing in my room?"

"…We are in our room." Rin looked around, realizing for the first time that she wasn't in her room. She supposed Kagome asked InuYasha to bring her here. "Do you prefer to be in yours?"

"Where's Aiko sleeping?"

"She's with father, she couldn't go to sleep alone. He stopped her from crying. Should I call father to help you move before he leave?"

"What? You are leaving?"

"Mom, father, and Aiko are going back to the well for more medicine for you. Mom said she needs many bandages for your body and pills."

"You're staying…" Sesshoumaru stated.

"Ahamm. I'll help Hosshimaru-sama to look for the bastard who made Rin suffer."

"Ren! Don't talk like that!"

"Sorry, Rin."

"Help Hosshimaru?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I told her about sensing auras." Sesshoumaru arced his eyebrow in way of questioning and Rin knew the child couldn't say anything else. He was just like his uncle in the matter speaking little.

"Ren can sense auras, when someone is happy, sad, angry, lying… If someone is a good enough liar, Ren can tell if his or her aura changes, even though the person hides it."

"I have many practice with the twins."

"He's talking about Sango-chan's twins. They are excellent liars, but Ren always got them."

"Humans?"

"Humans have auras just as demons. Human auras are weaker, but they can't hide them, so it's easy to sense them. And demons can hide theirs but there is something left behind. The only person I know, who can hide auras completely, is mom, when she puts up a barrier." There was a knock on the door. "It's father and mother."

InuYasha was standing in the doorstep with a sleeping Aiko in his arms; Kagome entered the room and asked Sesshoumaru to leave so she could help Rin get dressed. The inu stepped out angrily, followed by the little boy.

"Ren, we're going. We'll be back in two days, don't wander alone, stay always with someone, preferably Rin, Hosshimaru or…Sesshoumaru." The brothers locked gazes and glared at each other. "If anything happens to my son, I'll kill whoever does him harm of any kind. Do you understand?" Sesshoumaru said nothing. After some time, the miko came out holding a strange yellow bag.

"You'll be all right Ren, but do as your father said. Hosshimaru-sama promised to protect you, but she can't be everywhere at the same time, so don't go running around alone. Be polite and respectful." Kagome kneeled in front of her son and put a bracelet on his wrist. "This will enhance your sense of auras." The mother hugged hard her boy, she was regretting leaving him here, but Hosshimaru had no luck catching the culprit so it must be a very good liar. Her son could find whoever it was. "Be safe."

"Protect Rin." InuYasha said while patting the boy's head affectionately. Ren nodded, smiled reassuringly to his parents, and squeezed his little sister's hand. The trio headed toward the castle's entrance. Ren felt a little scared, but very proud of himself. He could do as his dad said and protect Rin. The little boy went to lie next to Rin in the futon and she pecked him in the head. He felt her beginning to fall asleep and cuddled more into her, falling asleep in seconds.

"Sleep Rin." Sesshoumaru whispered.

"I I'm scared of…"

"I'll wake you." Rin smiled and tried to sleep. Even though she had been sleeping for hours, she was tired; it didn't take long for her to succumb. Sesshoumaru watched them sleep. He was somewhat impressed by the kid's ability and wondered what abilities his own son could have. He could get the sensitive senses of hearing and smell, being an inu. Hosshimaru was a sorceress, so Takahiro could get some of her abilities. He sensed Hosshimaru's presence and slid the door before she could wake up the sleeping creatures by knocking.

"What?" He was very mad at her for her lack of protection over Rin and wasn't any day near from forgiving her.

"I'm holding another interrogation now and need Ren for-"

"I know; he's asleep." Sesshoumaru heard someone moving behind him and turned to find Ren stretching. Hosshimaru smiled at the kid and walked away, followed by Ren. The lord wanted very much to go himself, but decided to stay with Rin.

"If you help me walk, I could very much like to be there." Rin said fully awake.

"You need to rest."

"I'm not sleepy anymore and I know you want, as much as me, to be there." Sesshoumaru took Rin in his arms and flew just above the ground toward the central plaza to avoid harsh movements. Rin wasn't expecting him say yes so easily or to hold her like this. Even though she knew he had held her in his arm when she was little she hadn't any recollection of it. After all, the first time she had just awoken from dead and the second, she was dead in his arm. Her heart was beating madly and her face felt hot. _I must be very red._ Sesshoumaru could hear her heartbeat and first thought her to be afraid, but then he smelt something that almost made him stop in his tracks. Rin was aroused. He looked down at her and saw the side of her face, completely red. He wanted to smirk, but stopped himself from it. In the plaza they found Hosshimaru and Ren standing in front of all the habitants of the castle. Hosshimaru, seeing them, summoned a chair next to her so Rin could sit comfortably. Sesshoumaru put her down slowly and stood next to her. Almost all the demons, half demons, and human servants of the castle gasped and murmured about Rin-sama's state. The lord hearing the honorific to Rin's name gazed with a surprised look in his eyes at Rin, who was now even redder, if possible.

"I told them not to call me that, but they keep doing it."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. They called you Rin-sama because they respect and admire you." Hosshimaru told her, before directing her eyes to the large crowd and calling to attention.

_There are too many people here. It will be useless to interrogate them all at the same time._ Rin was about to speak her mind when Hosshimaru talked.

"Kitchens to the left. Cleaning in the center. Warriors, guards, messengers, and nobility to the right." She looked down to the boy. Ren was with his eyes closed and his eyebrows furrowed.

"They are all nervous. I need to make the guilty lie."

"How we-"

"For those of you who don't know, I had been poisoned with a mousou potion which gave me terrible nightmares for many weeks and almost made me lose my mind. Because of the potion, I sleepwalk, broke my ankle, and fell in a spider webs nest. That is why I can't walk on my own and have all this cuts. I will ask this just one time. Who poisoned me?" The head of the kitchens, a very old cat demon stepped in front of her group.

"Rin-sama, I can assure that no one in my kitchen could do such a terrible thing to you. You are adored among us all and could never hurt you." All the people behind her nodded or gave their affirmative to the statement. Ren concentrated on them and felt anger, sadness, rage, pity, and love coming from the group.

"They speak the truth." He whispered to Hosshimaru.

"Are you sure? The potion must had been given to Rin on her drinks."

"I'm sure."

"Get back to work." She ordered them.

"What! Just like that? You're relaying all of out safety in some human boy?" Ren gasped and opened his eyes to look at the man who talked.

"There's something strange with him. Ask him." Rin recognized the demon as one of the high rank guards; he actually had a seat on the war room table. Hiroto. She remembered him because he was the one who criticized Hosshimaru on planning a search of Aokigahara based on a human girl report.

"Hiroto-sama, did you poison me?"

"Whaaattt! How dare you in culprit me!"

"Answer the question." Sesshoumaru growled.

"I could never do such a thing!"

"He is not lying, but he despises Rin and… there's someone very nervous behind him! It's him! The black-haired man with a messenger bag, the one with the brown and orange hakamas."

"Hayato-kun?! I it c can't be!" Rin stammered.

"Hayato and Hiroto come forward!" Hosshimaru commanded. The two stepped in front of the others and Ren could feel Hayato's guilt and Hiroto's fear.

"Ask him." Rin couldn't do it, she couldn't believe that his friend could have done this to her. He was the one who brought her the letter of Kagome, the one she was trying to match with Moriko!

"Did you poison Rin?" Hossumaru asked. Hayato looked at Rin, who was shaking her head from side to side. _He did brought me my tea every afternoon…_

"I can't remember doing it."

"What sort of answers is that?! Did you do it or not?!" She yelled.

"I'm not sure! I'm… I didn't! No, I couldn't! She's my friend! I I…"

"He isn't lying. He believes he didn't do it, but he feels guilt. I think he is being controlled."

Rin gasped. "Ren! Open your eyes! Look closely between them! Enhance your senses!" Ren did as he was told and after some time he got the sight of a spider web connecting the two.

"A spider web! I can see it now! They're connected!"

Hiroto's eyes widened, "Nonsense! I'm no spider! I'm a panther demon!"

"You are lying." Ren stated. Sesshoumaru, in a blink of an eye, was in front of the two and severed the web he couldn't see with his claws. Hayato fell unconscious and Hiroto winced in pain. Sesshoumaru grabbed him from the collar of his kimono and snarled in his face. "You did this to Rin!"

"She's a liability to you, to the west, to everyone!" Hiroto yelled and, in his fear, let down the barrier that had been concealing his half spider identity.

Hosshimaru walked to stand next to Sesshoumaru, "I never liked panthers and we all had enough with the annoying spider-hanyou of Naraku, to put up with you. You're to be exile of this-"

Swish. Thud. Many screamed in horror at what happened in front of their eyes. Hosshimaru gaped at Sesshoumaru who was still holding the headless body of Hiroto. He let it fall and went to stand next to Rin again, who was looking at the mess in the floor. She looked toward Ren who was gaping; the young woman hugged him not minding about the pain.

"I'm all right Rin."

"I know; it's me who needs the hug."

"Sesshoumaru! That was unnecessary!" Hosshimaru yelled.

"You're too soft." He stated.

"Look at Rin! Do you think she needs this sort of image!"

"I don't mind. Exile could have been dangerous with the war, what scares me is that I regret his dead. I wanted to torture him just as much as he did me…" she ended whispering. "My wish scares me."

"Hnm, I should bring him back and do just that." Sesshoumaru said. Hosshimaru gaped at the pair. She never imagined Rin to be a vengeful person. _Those nightmares must have been more terrible than I thought._ The female demon commanded everyone to get back to work and for someone to clean the mess. Rin asked for Moriko to treat Hayato, to watched when he awoken and see he behaved differently.

It might be that at the end of all this, someone else would be more damaged than her.

**A/N: Hello everyone! As you must have realized this chapter was larger than the others. I just couldn't stop writing! And tried to make it in two chapters but decided it was best this way. Consider it as a gift for all the readers that had stayed with this story for more than two months! **

**Thank you to all and keep up the reviews! **

**xoxo Pritxka. **


	10. Chapter 10

**10) Chapter ten: Unknown phobia.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

The body was thrown out of the castle. The vacancy needed to be occupied and the first name that was proposed was that of a human girl. Rin couldn't believe that Hosshimaru proposed her and found even more incredible that all voted in favor of her being the replacement for Hiroto. No one said anything about a mere human taking decisions in a demon's land. Rin still couldn't move about much, but she refused to stay in bed all day and night. She asked for a walking stick and with the help of Moriko she walked where she needed. Still, she had to take her meals and lessons in her room and Ren went everywhere with her. When InuYasha and Kagome came back, Moriko and the miko took turns in watching her sleep. Rin could need to be awoken from a nightmare from time to time, but it was easy to do it and with the pass of time her nightmares diminished, in two weeks time she was having no nightmares at all and her ankle was a few weeks away from returning to normal. Her skin was something else; her cuts had healed but the scars remained. Kagome told her that the deeper ones could never go; they'll take a white color; only if a person touches her they could know it was there. _I look like a mummy_. Under her clothes, Rin wore bandages in all her cuts, which meant, all her body. Moriko and Kagome were helping her dress. Today, a very important meeting with the leaders of the south was to be held and Hosshimaru had asked Rin to be there. Sesshoumaru opposed at first but Rin reassured him she was all right and that doing something more than lessons and sleeping could help her a lot. It never crossed her mind that he wasn't thinking about her physical health.

"Moriko-chan, you should be with Hayato-kun. He needs you more than I." Moriko had taken over Hayato's treatment on her own. His body was all right, but his mind was quite damaged. He was paranoid, depressed, and felt so guilty he had tried to kill himself two times. No other than Moriko looked after him, all the members of the castle treat him as scum and was only under Rin's orders that no one hurt him. She had to plead with Hosshimaru and Sesshoumaru to let him stay, but she still couldn't go see him, which she thought could help. She wanted to tell him, in person, she didn't believe him guilty, but Moriko told her that seeing her scars could only worsen the situation. The only good thing out of this was that Moriko developed a strong crush for the messenger demon, which helped Rin loads in her job of getting them together.

"Really, Rin-san? I don't like to leave him alone for a very long time…"

"Yes, yes. Go to your boyfriend, he needs you." Rin teased and Moriko stuttered about him not being her boyfriend while leaving the room. Kagome laughed at the blushing girl and decided to do a little tease herself.

"And what about _your_ boyfriend?"

"What boyfriend?" Rin asked nonchalantly.

"You know him. Tall, stoic, long silver hair, doesn't chat much…"

"I don't know who your talking about. First, I've never had a boyfriend. Second, I'm in bed most of the time so I haven't had time to meet such boyfriend."

"Don't play dumb. You know I'm talking about Sesshoumaru."

"He is not my boyfriend."

"_Yet._"

"…"

"Did you tell him?"

"Of course not!"

"Why?!"

"It could make our relationship awkward and I like the way it is."

"Is that so? So you plan on never telling him?"

"I… yes, I don't know!" Rin sighed. "For now I'm happy with being able to be by his side."

"Rin, listen to me, I understand you. While traveling with InuYasha, I never told him I loved him because of…well…Kikyo. I just asked for him to let me be by his side. But in those three years I was home and never saw him, something change. People teased me because I always turned down the guys that asked me out and my friends tried to convinced me of going on dates, but…I couldn't. After our graduation, they set me up with an old friend from our last school. We sort of went on a date and he told me something that made me realize I just didn't love InuYasha, I was in love with him. And, there's a big difference between the two."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me, 'you're in love, but unhappy. Is he abroad?' I left him standing there and ran home to the well. When mom saw my face, she understood and just hugged me. And the well opened. Rin, you can love many people and in different ways, but you fall in love with very few people or just one person. In my case, I fell for InuYasha. What about you?"

"I…I don't know. I love him, but how do I know if I'm in love with him?"

"How do you know you love him?"

"I…I can't describe it. I know that my feelings when I was little changed over time and when I first saw him, after so many years, I realized I liked him. And then, while living here, I felt jealous of Hosshimaru-sama, glad when I found out there weren't together, and with all those nightmares I realized he is the most important person for me. When I awoken and found out he was all right, I understood that I love him, for without him I couldn't live properly. It must sounds really cheesy, but it's the truth. I've come to realize that I'm truly myself and my happiest when I'm near him."

"Yes, I noticed it too. You smile a lot, but around him it's as if you're shinning. But, Rin does he…does he, I don't know how to say it…It's sounds weird to say he can love…"

"…I believe he cares for me. No, I know he does. And I'm perfectly happy with that. I can't know what'll happen in the future, but for now I'm more than happy. I'll let him know of my feelings, but now it's not time. And I'm must finish getting ready for the meeting, I don't want to be late."

"Alright, I'll do your hair. But Rin-chan, please, think of this and don't resign to just being near him. If you want something else, fight for it. You deserve more than just a 'I care for you,' alright?"

"Yes, thank you Kagome-chan."

Meanwhile in the meeting room, Daichikutsu and Hosshimaru were going over the subjects to discuss with the leaders of the south. Sesshoumaru had read them once and left the room, typical behavior for him. Rin had studied all about the south in her lessons and in the day before, Daichikutsu explained to her the point of the meeting.

"Hosshimaru, you worry too much. Our alliance with the south is not necessary."

"It's helpful."

"I know, but you've read those notes, that _you_ wrote yourself, over a hundred times. I'm sure you even memorized already. You are charming and I'm sure your looks alone will make Kenshintzu sign every paper you put in front of him." Hosshimuru hid her blush and closed her scrolls.

"Kenshintzu is a lady's man. He likes everything that had breasts. I even saw him flirting with a feminine man, with a rather last chest, in the winter ball he held four years ago."

"That is true, but good looks help even more; and let me tell you, that you look dashing in that kimono, Hosshimaru." This time her blush was quite evident which made Daichikutsu smile.

"Thank you." She whispered and he got closer to her.

"It is I who thank you, for allowing me to see your beautiful face with blush cheeks." Hosshimaru turned her face so they were mere inches apart. He took her chin and with his thumb traced her lips, taking the color she had put on them, the only makeup on her face. "There is no need for that. Your lips are alluring enough without color."

"Daichikutsu…"

At the moment the door was opened, making Hosshimaru jumped in her chair and away of the male. No other than Sesshoumaru was standing at the door with his left eyebrow arced. He had got the scene before the demoness moved from her previous spot. Daichikutsu was an old acquaintance of him; maybe even a friend and Sesshoumaru knew he had a liking for Hosshimaru. _He might be intelligent, but he's too slow._ The lord sat next to him and ignored his death glare, although internally he was a feeling a tad culpable of interrupting them. After some silence, the door was opened again, but this time it was the priestess who did it. She was holding a gorgeous young lady in a red kimono with a golden flower print, golden obi and black sandals. Her long midnight hair was half up in an intricate bow and the other half was left to fall till her thin waist. Her face showed no makeup. She was a fairy princess taken out of a children's tale.

"Rin! You look so beautiful!"

"An absolute beauty, indeed." Daichikutsu agreed.

"Thank you." Rin said to them while looking at a standing Sesshoumaru. The other two demons looked at him from their seated positions. Both of them smirked. It was a common act for a male demon, to let a certain demoness know he's interested, to stand up when she enters a room, and Sesshoumaru, being a proud demon, never stood up for anyone. "Where should I sit?"

Sesshoumaru was about to point the seat next to him when he realized he was standing. _When did I stand up?_ Immediately he sat and was Hosshimaru who told Rin to sit next to him. She and Daichikutsu went back to talking, while Rin was helped to sit by the priestess.

"Thank you."

"No problem and good luck. Hosshimaru-sama, Takahiro-kun awoke some time ago, so I'll look after him, if it's ok with you…" The demoness thanked her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, thank you for the kimono. It's very beautiful." Rin had found it in her room that morning with a note in his handwriting that said 'For today.' Sesshoumaru gazed at her smiling face that was a little blushed and regretted his gift. He knew of Kenshintzu likes for women and he was always looking for a new woman to flirt with, precisely why he didn't want Rin here in the first place.

And he did come. After some minutes two servants opened the door and presented the three leaders of the south, Kenshintzu and his two brothers.

Rin was about to stand, but she felt a hand in her elbow, Sesshoumaru's hand. Hosshimaru and Daichikutsu stood and greeted the new comers. She gazed at Sesshoumaru and he looked to her from the corner of his eyes.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, long time no see. How have- My, my and who is this beautiful creature?" A demon with short blond hair and green eyes asked. Rin knew he was Kenshintzu and Hosshimaru had warned her of his flirting. She waited for someone to introduce her, as was customary.

"This is Rin, she's a new leader in our table of seven. Rin these are the leaders of the south, Kenshintzu, Kichiroutzu, and Kiyoshitzu."

"Glad to meet you all." Rin politely said.

"Oh, it's my pleasure to meet you Rin. And my brothers are glad to meet you too, but not as much as me, I'm sure." He answered while taking a seat very near her and making Rin, unconsciously, get closer to Sesshoumaru. The act didn't past unnoticed to the demons of the south and they all wonder if the beauty in front of them was the long awaited mate of Sesshoumaru. Kichiroutzu and his twin, Kiyoshitzu, sat next to his elder brother and were the ones to speak first; as always, at the same time and saying the same thing.

"What is the matter to discuss?"

"You know well of our war with the east."

"Yes, and you know we wish not to interfere in war." The twins answered in a monotone to Hosshimaru.

"We aren't asking you to fight in our battles. We ask for an alliance."

"What for, if not fighting?"

"Protection." Daichikutsu answered.

"Can't the great and powerful Sesshoumaru protect his lands?" Kenshintzu asked in a mocking way.

"Aokigahara is divided within the west and the south." Hosshimaru answered before Sesshoumaru could say anything. "We had good reasons to believe that some of the easterners are hiding in the forest."

"If it's on your side it is not of our concern."

"That's the problem, we do not know where in the forest they are hiding and our last battle was held very near our boundaries." Hosshimaru answered.

"Which make us believe they might be in your side as well." Daichikutsu explained.

"There is no place in there to hide large quantities of people."

"We believe they are under a barrier." Rin answered. The twins looked at her and then at their brother who was short from gaping at the young woman. "And we have means of finding the barrier and open it."

"How?"

"That is none of your business." Sesshoumaru spoke for the first time.

"What we asked is that you let us travel through your lands, if necessary, to find this barrier and get rid of the easterners." Hosshimaru explained.

"We could know if there invaders on our lands."

"But dear brothers, you heard Rin; they are under a barrier. We couldn't possibly find them. Let's sign this treaty and get on with something more fun." He said while smiling mischievously at Rin, who got even closer to Sesshoumaru. She had grown up with Miroko, who everyone knew was a lecher, but he never did anything wrong with her, just some strange compliments, but nothing like this man. Her hair stood on end just of being near him. Her knee was touching Sesshoumaru's one and she still felt that he was too close to her. Hosshimaru seeing her chance, let out the scroll and gave it to him to read but the twins snatched it from her hands.

The treaty indeed just asked for collaboration of the south, to let them travel through Aokigahara to find this supposed barrier. They needed only Kenshintzu's consent, asking them was just out of courtesy and they knew it. Their relationship with the west had always been good, while they had had some boundary problems with the east. At the time, the west or more specifically the Inu no Taisho, helped them. The twins gave the scroll to his brother and nod their agreement.

"Ok then, someone has a quill?" Daichikutsu gave him one, the leader of the south signed the treat without even reading it, and turned toward Rin. "So dear Rin, could you show me around. It's been so long since I last visit the castle and there must be many new things."

"I'm sorry, but I broke my ankle and can't walk properly."

"Oh, what a pain. But I'm sure we can talk some more over dinner."

"I'm taking my meals in my bedchambers for the same reason."

"Oh, excellent! I can accompany you there then."

"No, thank you." She answered politely but shortly and a bit cold. Hosshimaru called for servants to guide the brothers to their rooms and to helped Rin to hers. Kenshintzu followed after her until Sesshoumaru called for him.

"I hope this is short. I hav-"

"You are forbidden to speak, touch, or be near Rin."

"My, my, you're very possessive, are you not?"

"Do as I said. I'll know if you don't." With that Sesshoumaru kept walking toward Rin's room, where she was standing looking at the two demons.

Kenshintzu saw as they talked and then the young woman entered the room. Sesshoumaru turned and glared at him. The demon of the south wasn't sure if the two guards on each side of the door were because of him or if it was the girl inside was Sesshoumaru's most precious treasure. _Either way I will get to speak to her and even more, if there's something I like is a hard catch and if it's forbidden, even better. _The snake demon thought while he walked to where his brothers' scents came from and with a dark smile on his face.

After her usual light meal, Rin washed her mouth and went to sleep. Her encounter with the leader of the south had left her quite tired. She was unnerved by the lecherous look in his eyes and still had goose bumps.

"I don't like him either. His aura reeks of malice." Ren said to her.

"I know, even I could feel it. Do you like to hear a bed time story?"

"Can you sing today please?" Ren lay on his futon and Rin sat on hers. After some thinking she came up with a good lullaby that had Ren asleep in minutes. She lay back and fell asleep quickly as well.

Before going to sleep, Rin locked the door and closed the windows but that didn't stop the snake demon from getting in her room. He slithered through, but didn't expect a young boy to attack him.

"Ren! What is it?!"

"Look what I got, Rin." He said, holding a huge snake from its head with both his hands.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" In seconds her bedroom door was thrown down and her room was full of people. "Get it away! Get it away!" Rin moved away from the snake and the boy until she hit something cold and scaly, she turned and let out another scream.

"Ren! Drop it! InuYasha do something! It's enormous! Kill it!" Kagome yelled at a gaping InuYasha. Aiko was standing next to her mother, touching the tail of the snake and laughing; realizing this Kagome let out a screech and pick up her daughter. "INUYASHA! KILL IT!" He was about to cut in in half, when Hosshimaru yelled.

"Waaaiiit! It's Kenshintzu! He's a snake demon!"

"What the hell is he doing in Rin's room?!" InuYasha yelled on top of Rin's screams. "Shut up, Rin! I'll be deaf if you don't shut your fucking mouth!"

"InuYasha! Sit!"

"Ouuuuu! Whyyyyy!"

"What is all the noise?" Sesshoumaru's mother asked from the door. Sesshoumaru ignored everyone and went to the still screaming Rin.

"Stop screaming. It's just a piece vermin."

"I hate snakes!" She yelled.

"No need to yell." Rin turned her gaze from the snake that was now in InuYasha's hands to looked at Sesshoumaru who had an annoyed look on his face.

"Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Rin-chan. You have a phobia of snakes. It is call Ophidiophobia. You can't control it, I've told you." Kagome explained.

"Yes, yes. Please just get it out of my room." InuYasha dragged the thing out and dropped it on the ground, stopping it from getting away with his foot.

"What are you doing with our brother?" The twins asked.

"He was inside of Rin's room, can you tell me _what_ was he doing there?" Hosshimaru asked with anger in her voice.

"We apologize deeply for our brother and hope this doesn't change our situation. He didn't hurt her, did he?" They asked.

"Yes! He did! He was planning to hurt her! I woke up because felt malice enter the room and it was slithering upon her futon. I stopped him before he got near her." Ren explained. "And Rin hates snakes, it scared her. That's hurt enough for me! Kill it." He said to InuYasha, surprising both his parents. The snake hissed and took his human form.

"There's no need to be so rash, little boy."

"I am no little boy and stay away from Rin."

"You brat! I'm the lord of the south!"

"Such vermin a lord?" Kenshintzu moved to grab the boy, but Sesshoumaru moved faster and grabbed him by the neck. "He's right, such vermin shouldn't be lord of anything."

"Let me go! Brothers, do something!"

"We agree with the lord of the west."

"Y you s scum! Y You w want my place!" He said panting.

"But we ask that you let us handle this in our lands, we'll be leaving immediately."

Sesshoumaru looked at the face of the demon who was turning bluer by the second and let go of him. "You are not allowed within my lands anymore. If I ever see you, I'll kill you."

"Thank you for allowing us to-"

Punch!

"Ouuuu! I thought you were going to let me go!"

"I never said I wouldn't hit you." He hit him another ten times and could have go on if he wasn't stop.

"Sesshoumaru! Please, that's enough! He just scared me after all."

"Like Ren said, that's enough. And he was going to do something worse than just scare you." He punched him again and was stopped again by Rin. She took his arm before he could strike again.

"I'm all right. He isn't worth it. And he's unconscious." Sesshoumaru dropped the demon and the other two dragged him toward the castle's exit, without apologizing again first.

Rin grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand with her right and hugged Ren with her left arm. "Thank you for protecting and defending me."

"You may hate snakes but I hate people that hurt Rin." Ren said hugging her hard, Rin giggled and felt her hand being squeezed. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and smiled, she got the message. 'Me too.'

**A/N: Hello! This chapter was also a bit longer than normal. I don't know why it keeps happening, but I don't think you mind much :) **

**Thank for the reviews and wait for next chapter because the real journey begins!**

**Xoxo, Pritxka.**


	11. Chapter 11

**11) Chapter eleven: A new journey, new memories.**

**Disclaimer: I don't InuYasha or any of its characters. **

Time passed by and Rin was back to normal, no walking stick, staying in her room all day, being watched while sleeping or terrible nightmares. The moment to leave to Aokigahara was nearing and Rin still didn't know if she was allowed to go, but that didn't stop her from packing what she would need. Her bag was full and ready to go anytime she saw the traveling party leaving and no one was going to stop her. After weeks of not moving and being inside the castle for so long, she was itching to get out and have the wind blow in her face. She longed to travel through the woods again. She was going through her belongings and checking that everything she would need was packed when someone knocked on her door. Rin asked for the name of the person but was answered with a simple 'Open.' The young woman smiled and opened the door to Sesshoumaru.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru-sama! How can I be of help to you?" The inu entered the room and immediately notice the bedspread thrown haphazardly on top of something. Rin saw him pick up the blanket she had used to hide her pack and stammering tried to explain.

"I'll be waiting in the entrance. Don't make me wait long."

"Wha-Yes, my lord!"

After he left, Rin changed her clothes quickly, took her satchel, and left at a run toward Sesshoumaru. She found him waiting next to Ah-Un and expected an 'Took you long enough, silly girl!' from Jaken, but it never came.

"Where's Jaken-sama?"

"He's not coming. Let's go."

"But what about the others?" Rin asked, while attaching her satchel upon Ah-Un's armor. "We are going to Aokigahara, do we not?"

"You need a proper weapon before that."

"I have my bow and sword." She said a little put out. "I know they're old but-"

"You need a better weapon. You are not going to Aokigahara with mere human weapons."

By now they were out of the castle, Rin following Sesshoumaru on Ah-Un's back. "I am a mere human. I can't handle demon swords, no human can." Now, she was starting to get upset. Sesshoumaru stopped on his tracks so suddenly that Ah-Un almost hit him. He turned so they were face to face.

"You wish not for another weapon?"

"Well, yes I could like a new one but I want to keep these ones too."

"I never said you had to disposed of them." Sesshoumaru never imagined she could act like this. He thought that as soon as she found out she was going to Aokigahara she would be jumping around. _Although it seemed she was going to go, whether or not I allow it._ "You can have a weapon made of demon bones, just as the ones the slayer's use. Swords made of demon's fangs are the ones that humans can't handle."

Rin perceived the anger in his voice and realized she was behaving improperly. "I apologize. Thank you for this and for allowing me to go to Aokigahara." He turned and for the next hour they travelled in silence. Usually, while looking for Naraku, Rin could cut the silence with a silly song or pestering Jaken, but right now she was to busy thinking of where she could find demon bones that were ready and suitable for a weapon and if it was going to be Toutousai the one to forge it.

She had in mind a particular demon that Sango told her about. It was a legend and she wasn't sure if it was real, but if Rin find him it could be perfect for her new weapon. _Who best to know if he's real than Sesshoumaru?_

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" He moved his head to the side to let her know he was listening. "Have you heard of Osuushi?"

"Yes." Sesshoumaru remembered his father talking about the powerful demon with three horns. The right one, which could cut through everything. The left one, which could lift everything, no matter how heavy. And the one in the center, which supposedly could heal any wound. Sesshoumaru knew which could appeal more to Rin.

"Is it true? About the three horns and their abilities."

"No one knows if the center horn can heal."

"But the other two really can cut through anything and lift anything?"

"Yes."

"Have you seen him?"

"No. My father fought him."

"He's not dead, is he? Osuushi, I mean…" Rin had dropped from Ah-Un and was walking next to him. Sesshoumaru gazed at her from the corner of his eyes. _Exactly what is she planning? _

"No, he escaped before my father could fatally hurt him. And if the legend about his center horn being able to heal it's true, any wound he had could have been healed." Rin was biting on her bottom lip, something he knew she does when she was planning something. "Rin, he's far to powerful for you."

"Oh, I know. But power is not everything." She heard his growl of disapproval, but went on. "Sango-chan was the one who told me the story and she also told me he's very stupid. Is it true?"

"You plan to outwit him?"

"It's my best chance."

"You can't handle a sword made of his horns."

"Of course not in one sword, but three wakizashi, I can handle. The horns are bones so there's no problem!"

"No problem? Rin, how to you intend to kill Osuushi?"

"Well, first I have to find him." She was walking backwards so she could look at Sesshoumaru. "Do you know where he resides?" As a matter of fact, he did know, but wasn't going to tell her. "You do! Where?! Please tell me! Where?!"

"You'll get kill."

"I have a plan." He arced an eyebrow. "I still got some of the potion that hides scents. I know bull type demons have terrible eyesight; they catch there pray because it moves. I plan to hide my scent and confuse him with my arrows." Sesshoumaru didn't even have to say a word for Rin to know that he wasn't convinced, so she explained him her full plan. By the end of it and with some pleading, she managed to get the place where Osuushi resides from him.

It was mid afternoon when they arrived to where Osuushi was heard to live. They were flying over the trees that surrounded a large clearing where a creature at least three times bigger than Toutousai's cow, the only thing Rin had for reference as to measure up Osuushi's size, was sleeping. His body was completely black, making the three white and deadly looking horns in his head to stand out. And it wasn't only the front that looked deathly, but in his tail he had a silver thing that looked very much as an enormous arrow end. Rin gulped loudly_. It's ok. I have a good plan and if it goes wrong I won't be at harms way and Sesshoumaru is with me._ They had passed through a village in their way here and Rin bought what she needed to set out her plan. Rin applied the potion and made Ah-Un to set her down in the highest branch of one of the trees nearest to Osuushi. There, she hung a bag with rocks and with Ah-Un's help move to the next tree where she did the same. Finally, all the trees around the clearing had bags full of rocks. She had been as quiet as she could and it seemed it work, for Osuushi was still sleeping.

Rin was taking position in one of the trees when a hare passed below running away from a huge panther. _A panther demon._ Osuushi awoke and went after the animal and the demon; he attacked them viciously and killed them within seconds, leaving their broken bodies behind. He didn't even eat them. Rin was in the same position, shocked at what she saw. The bull demon went back to his clearing and stomped against some rocks, breaking them with his horn and feet. The girl in the tree turned to look at Sesshoumaru who was floating some feet above her. He made a movement with his head that meant for her to come, but she shook her head. Rin prepared her bow and arrow, took aim at the bag opposite her and shoot. Before it even hit, she was in the next tree and shooting. She went on like this while down below, Osuushi was running around the clearing in frenzy. _Now, time for my new technique._ Rin turned her bow horizontally and took three arrows, aiming at Osuushi who was banging his head to one of the trees, and shot. The demon shrieked in pain as the three arrows hit his enormous body. He turned, but Rin was in another tree shooting another three arrows at him. Two of them hit him on the side, but the other flew too low. She had only three more arrows left. Rin was about to take another of her arrows, when Osuushi hit the tree she was sitting in. He hit again and again until she was falling. Rin made to grab another branch but missed it, fortunately her leg got stuck and she used the other to grab hold of the branch. Osuushi had seen her movements and was now banging with all his might against the tree. _If his horn cuts it, I'm done._ Sesshoumaru was by her side in a second and was about to take her away, but she shook her head again.

"Rin, don't be-"

"I have to do this. Alone." She said, but saw him reached for her. She moved to grab unto the tree's trunk and pushed herself so she could grab another branch with her hands. Now, her legs were hooked around one branch and her left arm around another. With her free hand, she grabbed her sword but Osuushi had managed to cut the tree. She was going down with the tree, toward Osuushi. _Perfect._ Just when she was in reach of the bull, Rin used his center horn to push her body away from the tree and landed on top of the demon. Osuushi ran away of the falling tree and was trying to get rid of the girl on his back, but she didn't gave him enough time. Rin grabbed his horn firmly with her left hand and punctured into his body with the spears she had put on her wooden sandals. The demon howled in pain and threw his head back, giving Rin the perfect angle to stab him between the eyes with her sword that had been heated by Ah-Un. When the demon bull was about to drop dead, Rin jumped away of him and unto the soft grass of the clearing. Osuushi dropped with Rin's sandals and sword still in his body.

Sesshoumaru came down and Ah-Un ran right toward her and snuggled her. "I'm all right, I'm all right. Just some scratches, that's all."

"It was far too easy." Sesshoumaru said, investigating the dead demon.

"What?! No, it wasn't!" Rin replied shocked, but the inu wasn't hearing.

"He's too small. He isn't Osuushi."

"What! What do you-" Rin was interrupted by a deep and terrible sound that was followed by a series of loud stomps. _Oh Gods._

"Rin." She stood up and mount Ah-Un who immediately shot straight up, but Sesshoumaru stayed down.

"Sesshoumaru! What are you doing?!" He unsheathed Bakusaiga, cut the demon's head and he put it on top of Ah-Un, securing it with a rope. "What are you doing?!"

"Leave." Ah-Un did as he was told, but Rin made him stopped and turned, minding not to let the head fall. She had gone through a lot to just let it fall. "I ordered you to leave."

"I'm not going anywhere without you!"

"Rin! This is not the time for your games."

"This is not a game! I'm not leaving you behind!" Meanwhile, the real Osuushi was coming through the trees and destroying everything in his way.

"You'll be in my way, get out of here."

"No!" In an instance, he was inches away from her face.

"Do as I say, I won't repeat myself." He growled angrily. Rin gulped but kept her place. Sesshoumaru glared at her. "Fine. Stay. If you get in my way, don't expect me to save you." Rin nodded and stayed back. By then, Osuushi was in the clearing and the difference was enormous. Only his head was as large as the clearing and his horns almost reach them. Rin made Ah-Un go higher while Sesshoumaru with Bakusaiga ready to strike was floating as if the enormous bull below was nothing more than a nuisance.

Osuushi let out a horrible sound when he looked to his offspring's headless body. He looked all around not finding the culprit, until a movement above him made him looked up.

Sesshoumaru was in front of him in a glimpse of an eye and pierce him with his sword on the side of the bull's head, but it didn't go deep enough. It was a scratch that could inflict pain, but with a body so big he had strike him through various times. It was a good thing, that as Rin had said, he was stupid. Sesshoumaru confused him by moving quickly from one place to another. Osuushi almost got him with his tail a couple of times, but he had managed to pierce the enormous body and only one more strike and he could be done. Osuushi's movements were becoming slower and the final stroke was easy for the inu youkai. The enormous bull demon fell to Bakusaiga's power.

Rin watched as Sesshoumaru cleaned his sword and flew towards Ah-Un and her. She hid her face so he couldn't see her tears, which was no good because he could smell them.

"Why do you cry?"

"I killed his son and he end up dead because of that." She explained in a whisper.

"Why did you choose Osuushi?"

"Because of his healing horn."

"That was your only reason?"

"…No." Rin looked at the destroyed forest and remembered how the bull demon she thought to be Osuushi killed without mercy. _Just as Sango-chan told me._ "Kuchiku-kan."

"Yes, Kuchiku-kan." Rin gazed at the horrible image below her, now bathed in a red glow from the setting sun. "We're leaving."

The journey in search of a place to rest was quiet. Rin was thinking of the events of the day, while Sesshoumaru realized he had killed another enemy of his father and without much fuss. He had truly surpassed him. The youkai turned to look at the sad girl riding Ah-Un. He lowered toward a patch of grass near a stream where they could rest. The dragon demon followed, Rin didn't noticed till he set foot on the small clearing. She dismounted Ah-Un and in a robotic way went to gather water for him and her wounds, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned and gazed at the soft golden eyes of Sesshoumaru.

"You did well." His hand went from her shoulder to the side of her face; Rin brought her own hand and put it on top of his.

"Kuchiku-kan. Destroyer. Is it true? Are they destroyers?" Absently, Sesshoumaru traced Rin's chin and lips with his thumb, trying to make her sad grimace change.

"Apart of the three horns, the tail of Osuushi has a power too." Rin was too upset to discern that Sesshoumaru was tracing her lips with his thumb. "It can destroy. With a single hit it can blow apart anything." Rin gazed up at him and opened her eyes in surprise.

"But…but, it almost got you! Two times!" She dropped her hand and his followed, then she had closed the space between them and hugged him, something she had never dared do. He stood awkwardly for some time until Rin step back and went to the stream for water. Even when she turned back to give it to Ah-Un, she found him in the same place. She giggled quietly, grabbed his hand, and led him near a tree where he could rest. "Thank you. Thank you for everything." She told him. Sesshoumaru sat, resting his back against the tree and watched as Rin started a fire while humming.

It was the first day of their journey and they already had many memories to treasure.

**A/N: Hello, thank you for reading! Please leave a review! And if your wondering what wakizashi is, here is the description: The wakizashi (meaning "side inserted sword") is one of the traditionally made ****Japanese swords**** worn by the ****samurai**** class in feudal Japan.**

**You can find pictures and more info in:**

** wiki/Wakizashi**

**Xoxo**

**Pritxka. **


	12. Chapter 12

**12) Chapter twelve: Katto, Iyasu, and Kasai.**

**Disclaimer: I don't InuYasha or any of its characters. **

While waiting for her ramen to be ready, Rin inspected her wounds and took care of them. It was a good thing that Kagome brought her a huge pack of soups because finding fishes at night could prove to be impossible. Rin could feel Sesshoumaru's eyes on her while eating; she looked his way and almost drowned with noodles when she saw the look of incredulity on the demon's face.

"It's noodles with shrimp flavored soup. It really doesn't taste that much like shrimp, but is good and helpful in situations like this. Kagome-chan brings them from her time. She told me they ate mostly this while looking for Naraku and the shikon shards." Rin kept eating but now a long awaited answer popped into her head. "Mmm, Sesshoumaru-sama?" He turned his eyes toward her. "I was w wondering, do you ever eat? I mean, you must, right? Or you don't? Or maybe you don't like food or-" _I'm blabbering._ She could feel her face heating up.

"I eat, not regularly." Rin's head shot straight up and her embarrassment was replaced by curiousity.

"What do you eat?"

"Anything."

"Then, what do you prefer?"

"Meat."

_Well, he is a dog after all._ Rin thought with a small smile on her face. "Of what sort? I mean, like the one humans eat or do you-"

"I don't consume demons." Sesshoumaru interrupted with disgust in his voice.

"Oh, umm. And do you like any particular human food?" She asked shyly. "Hosshimaru-sama really likes tea and your mother was fascinated by Kagome-chan's chocolates. And she's right, they are delicious, it's my favorite food, although it's not exactly food, but still they are amazing. They are sweet and some are a bit bitter; it's really strange."

"Coffee." He answered after some minutes of silence.

"Coffee? I drank coffee once. Kagome-chan brought it in something she called thermos that keeps drinks hot. It was ok, but I prefer tea." Another period of silence followed and Rin got up to go clean her mouth when Sesshoumaru talked.

"You must've drank one of low quality."

"Yes, probably." She said with a smile. "I'm going to wash my mouth. I won't go far." Sesshoumaru watched her go toward the stream with a small package and an object that lighted her path. He couldn't help wonder about the strange things the miko brought with her. He had passed in front of their room once and through the open doors saw many peculiar objects scattered in the floor. And days later he had seen Takahiro playing with one of them, 'it's amazing; it lets out the strangest noises and he loves it,' Hosshimaru had told him.

Rin returned shortly after and sat in the sort of bed she had made with a blanket. She tied her hair in a loose bun and cuddled next to Ah-Un who served her as a pillow, just as when she was little. "Good night, my lord." She whispered before yawning. Sesshoumaru watched as the dragon demon, Rin had named, curled it's tail around her body in a protective way and smiled a little before resting his head against the tree closing his eyes to rest, but keeping his other senses on alert for any intruders.

Rin awoke thanks to the rising sunlight hitting her face. She felt something very soft and fluffy next to her and instinctively hugged it, brushing her face against it moaning because of its softness. The young woman felt something moving behind her and opened her eyes in alarm, encountering a white fluffy thing in her face. For some minutes, Rin laid there trying to figure out what it could be until it hit her and she stood up in a rush almost falling down again because her legs were tangled in the thing. _Not thing, Rin! It's his mokomoko! Gods!_ She felt all her blood going to her face, which meant she was sporting a deep blush. Rin looked toward Sesshoumaru and adverted her gaze when she saw his eyes on her.

With a whispered good morning, the young woman bent down to peek up her blanket and realized that it had been she who rolled in the night and had cuddled against his mokomoko. _Well of course, he wasn't going to cuddle to me. _Rin folded and packed her blanket in total silence, while Sesshoumaru remained in the same position.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what-I'm must have been cold and-umm. I'm sorry." She said and bowed respectfully. The inu youkai stood and acknowledge her apology with a 'we are leaving.' Rin grabbed Ah-Un's reins and pulled; human and beast walked silently behind their lord while the young woman munched on one of the apples she had bought the day before. "Why didn't you wake me?" She asked in a low whisper to the dragon demon walking next to her. Ah-Un gazed at her with an understanding look on their eyes. _He could have waked me too, but he didn't._ Rin set her eyes on the back of Sesshoumaru's silver-haired head wishing she could read it. _I'm pretty good at reading his expressions but sometimes he just baffles me. _

"Mount Ah-Un."

"Hmm?" She was so immersed in her own thoughts that hadn't realized he was flying a small distance away by now. "Oh yes!" The young woman mounted the beast and they continue following the lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama, where are we going?"

"Toutousai's den." Came his retort, which to Rin seemed as a bit cold even for him. _Is he mad? I apologized!_ What the young woman could never comprehend was that his anger was for said apology. A concept that not even the upset demon understood, all he knew was that as soon as the word 'I'm sorry' left her mouth his temper rose.

They flew in silence the rest of the way, but this time it wasn't a comfortable silence as the others. It was rather charged with tension, as Sesshoumaru was upset and Rin was a bit angered by his behavior. She couldn't understand why, if it had upset him that she cuddled into his mokomoko, he didn't take it away of her hands. _I know he can feel when it's touched or harmed._ She remembered vividly the one time when Moryomaru cut his mokomoko and it bleed. He flinched a bit too. The demon hadn't exactly flinched, but Rin had seen him lowered his eyelids and his eyebrows furrowed as in anger or pain.

The sun was in the middle of the sky when the party of three landed in an expanse land of grass. Rin dismounted and stretching her legs, started to pick up flowers. Spring was coming to an end and soon the hot days of summer could come. The wind blew her hair everywhere and she laughed imagining how silly she must look. When a strong wind came, Rin let all the flowers go and they swirled around her while she spin with her arms extended. The girl spun and spun until she fell down from dizziness, laughing sweetly with her eyes closed. She opened them and found three Sesshoumaru's gazing down at her; Rin smiled broadly and point to the three Sesshoumarus. After some time her eyesight went back to normal and her brown chocolate eyes locked with his golden ones. Rin sat up while still gazing into those sun-colored orbs, her heart was beating crazily, and her stomach felt as if a thousand butterflies were flying around. Slowly, the young woman rose, her face ending mere inches away of his. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears, but pied attention to nothing else than the man in front of her while she closed the distance between them even more. Feeling bold, she put her hand lightly on his arm to use it as support and stood on her tiptoes. When their lips where close to touching, a loud thunder made Rin jumped and she could have fallen if it weren't for the strong arm that was holding her around the waist. _Was his arm there already?_

"Sesshoumaru. What have-ooohhhh…Sorry to interrupt, I'll be on my way." Rin turned on the spot and Sesshoumaru's arm stayed around her only a second longer.

"Wait! Toutoutai-sama! She yelled at the old demon on top of the three-eyed cow.

"Hmm? How you know my name, woman?" He asked after a good look at her.

"I'm Rin! I was a little girl last time we saw each other."

"Rin, Rin. That does sound familiar." He said while scratching his chin. "Oh, I remember! You're that girl I saved down the river a few weeks ago." Rin almost fell on her side at hearing this and got closer to the old demon.

"No, Toutousai-sama. You met me when I was travelling with Sesshoumaru-sama while looking for Naraku, remember? That was 13 years ago."

"Ohhhh…Sesshoumaru's little girl! I remembered her now!" He said looking intently at Rin. "Do you know her?"

Rin couldn't believe he was talking seriously. "I am she! I've grown up, that's all."

"Kami! Rin, you say your is name?" Named girl nodded vigorously. "Mmmm, so you made her your mate, eh?" He asked Sesshoumaru who gave him the death glare.

"No, no, no, no, no. I I I'm n not h his m m ma mate." Rin took a deep breath before continuing. "I am a member of the Table of Seven of the West castle and require your service to forge a sword. Well, to be more specific three wakizashis."

"Hmmm and the material?" Rin gave him the head with a deep disgust on her face. Toutousai inspected it and went as far as licking some of its blood, which made Rin to almost throw up. "Osuuchi's heir. I suppose you want a wakizashi made of each horn?" Rin nodded again. "And the length?"

"I want the blade to be as long as my forearm, the scabbards red with a flower design, and to distinguish I like a different feather garment to be knotted into each handle; here they are." Rin explained while handling him the three adornments she had bought the prior day. One had yellow feathers, the other red ones, and the last one green.

"Boosy, aren't you?" Rin blushed and Toutousai smirk at her. "All right then, come back in three days."

"You'll do them? Thank you! Thank you!" She said, clapping her hands in contentment. After a second loud thunder, the old demon was gone leaving the lord and the human woman alone again. Rin turned toward Sesshoumaru and with a smile thanked him as well. She hadn't forget about their moment from earlier and neither had him, but being stubborn as always they put it aside and acted as it had never happened.

For the next three days Sesshoumaru and Rin stayed in the same piece of land where they have encountered Toutousai. They developed a sort of routine. Rin woke with the sunrise, eat some fruits, trained, catch some fish for lunch, train some more, wash herself in a stream she found not long from their campsite, chat endlessly about nothing and everything, eat her soup, and went to sleep. She woke up snuggling to Sesshoumaru's mokomoko not even one time, which prevented awkward situations in the morning. They had enough with the training.

Just after Toutousai left, Sesshoumaru asked Rin to show him what she learned while training with Hosshimaru and Daichikutsu. At first, she was reluctant but as she got lost in her movements, Rin forgot all about Sesshoumaru and concentrated on her task. The young woman was maneuvering with her sword when Sesshoumaru step in front of her and hit her sword with Tenseiga. Rin faltered for a minute, which earned it a 'cut' from his sword. Regaining her senses, she met each of his strikes with her own sword.

After some time, she realized he was pushing her toward the cliff and she wasn't about to let him win. Rin knew the demon was being deliberately slow with her and she could take advantage of that. She saw him draw his sword up and before he could strike down, Rin fell down and rolled on the floor. Sesshoumaru didn't expect it and stood still for a second before regaining his senses, but it was a second too long, as Rin was standing on his left with her sword almost touching his neck. He arced an eyebrow and moved his feet between hers, making her fall.

"Terrible stance."

"Not fair!"

"Everything is fair in war."

"And love." Rin said before covering her mouth with her free hand.

Sesshoumaru decided to let it pass. "You were thinking only of getting away of the cliff and your little stunt cost you."

"Ok, yes. But by the time you realized about it I could have already cut your throat."

"You could have cut the side of my neck, not my throat. And it could have been a mere scratch."

"I don't think so. I could have gotten your main vein and you could to hold a hand on that injury, therefor you could have to battle with only one hand."

"That's no problem to me."

"Well, yes. You're accustom to battle with one hand only, but you won't be my enemy, won't you?"

"Are you this insolent while with Hosshimaru and Daichikutsu?" He asked glaring at Rin's face that somehow ended very near his.

"I'm not insolent! I just say what I think. But they've said I'm insolent a few times." She answered. "Maybe I am." Rin said in a low voice.

"What was that? Speak up." She looked up in surprise. A playful tone had escaped him in his first sentence, Rin was sure of it. And she was sure he had heard her perfectly.

_Two can play this game. _With a small smirk on her face she repeated herself, ending with a pout. The girl was gazing intently into his face and she saw, quite clearly, as a shade of amusement pass through his eyes, Rin couldn't stop the big smile that formed on her lips and at his inquiring face, she let out a giggle. She took some steps back and prepared herself for another fight. For the next days they trained together and, even though they took it seriously, there was a bit of playfulness on their fights.

They were in a middle of one of their training lessons when Toutousai appeared in his cow._ How strange. First, I found them snuggling and now they are fighting. Rin ran toward him with an expectant look on her face. _

"Here you have them, girl. Treat them well." He handled her three medium size swords, each with a red scabbard with flower design and a feather adornment. Rin felt their weight and found them to be perfect. Unsheathing the first one, she looked at the blade that was pure white, just as the horn had been. From its handle hung the red feathers. Rin turned to a large rock and sliced it in two with minimal force. The next one had the green feathers, as with the first one, she felt a pulse from the wakizashi that somehow instructed on how to use it. She pressed the blade to one of her recent cuts and watched in amazement as it healed instantly. Toutousai let out a low whistle, "The last one, girl." Rin unsheathed the last wakizashi, the one with yellow feathers. It didn't pulse. She looked at Toutousai with her question plastered all over her face. "Osuushi's horns can cut, heal, and lift anything. The first two horns had the same functions, but not the third one."

"What does it do?"

"How did you know how to use the others two?"

"They told me."

"Hmmmm, very amazing. It seemed you develop a close connection with those two already. But the third one…"

"What?"

"Well, you'll have to find out on your own."

"How? Oh, let me guess…"

"Training." They said at the same time. "Do you have a name for them?" He asked her.

"For these two, I do." Rin said holding up the ones with red and green feathers. "Katto and Iyasu, they told me."

"Mmmm, ok then. My work here his done." And just as he appeared, he left.

"Rather uncivil, he is." Rin let out a long sigh and sheathed her new weapons carefully. "Thank you, my lord. This is my favorite present so far." She smiled at him and hooked her three wakizashi next to her sword. "Now, where to?"

**A/N: Hello! Thank you for reading. Review, please!**

**Xoxo**

**Pritzka. **

P.S. Right now is 11:25pm in Costa Rica, where I live; and until now I remembered to publish the new chapter. Actually, I was going to bed since I'm exhausted after today's exam in my Javascript class (Javascript is a programming language, if you were wondering) and posting, completely left my mind because of it. But a promise is a promise, so there's the twelve chapter, hope you liked it :] Tell me thoughts on it, please!


	13. Chapter 13

**13) Chapter thirteen: Inches away from the sky.**

**Disclaimer: I don't InuYasha or any of its characters. **

The sun was about to set and the group kept going. They had travelled for two days without stop and Rin was feeling the exhaustion of having to sleep on Ah-Un's back. If Sesshoumaru had been travelling alone, he could have reached their destination in a night so Rin didn't complain once, but he knew she was exhausted as her chatter decreased with the passing of time. He turned to check on her and found her sleeping, which wasn't very safe since they were flying and not walking.

"Rin. Wake up."

"Are we we" Her sentence got interrupted by a yawn. "there yet?"

"Yes." At his answer, Rin awoke completely and looked at the large group camping below her.

_Thank goodness._ Sesshoumaru and Rin landed near the group and were received fondly by them; only Rin returned their greetings. To her surprise from the cries of 'good evening, Rin-sama' she was able to discern someone calling to her only by her name. It was the childlike voice that surprised Rin the most.

"Ren! What are you doing here?" The kid took her hand and pulled the shocked woman toward his sleeping place, which was notorious, thanks to the blue sleeping bag. Rin had seen it before, but she could only imagine what the others were thinking of the strange thing. "Ren, what are you doing here?"

"Hosshimaru asked, or more like begged, Kagome to let him come. She said his ability could be helpful." InuYasha explained matter-of-factly.

"And after many thinking I decided to let him come."

"Kagome-chan! You too?!" Rin asked astonished.

"You didn't expect me to let him come alone, did you?" Rin looked all around looking for Aiko, but did not found the small girl. "I asked mom to look after her for a while." The blue-eyed woman responded at Rin's silent question. "You look very tired, Rin-chan. It's a good thing I brought you this, consider it a late birthday present." She said giving Rin a purple sleeping bag.

"Thank you, Kagome-chan!" The young woman said excitedly hugging her friend.

"Rin sleeps next to me! Here, I've clean a spot for you." Ren said pulling at her hand.

"Thank you! But I want to clean myself first." Kagome guided her to the secluded stream they found and sat on a nearby rock while she washed. "Ooohhh, it's warm!"

"Yes, we must be near a volcano. Almost all the rivers we encounter on our way here are warm. So, Rin-chan, what were you doing alone with Sesshoumaru?"

"Ummmm? Hosshimaru-sama didn't tell you?"

"No one knew you leave with him. Actually, we spent some time looking for you until the guards told us."

Rin straighten up and stared at Kagome for a while. "How…odd. Well, we went to Toutousai to ask him for a weapon for me."

"Oh really?" Kagome looked at Rin's cloths and found the three wakizashis. The priestess tried to pick them up, but found them to be too heavy. She tried with only one and the result was the same. "Rin-chan! How do you use these things! They weight a lot!"

"No, they don't. They are perfect." _Well at least for me they are._ "I got the blade from a bull demon, remember Osuuchi?"

"What! You didn't kill it, did you?" Kagome asked perplexed.

"No, I found his… his offspring. I thought it was Osuuchi but Sesshoumaru-sama realized he wasn't and killed the real one. But the blades come from the little one's horns, not Osuuchi."

"Oh my… And is it true? About the powers?"

"Yes, the red feathered one cuts through anything. I've tried on all sorts of things and it cut them easily. The one with green feathers, heals, it healed all my scars." Rin blushed a little at the thought and it didn't went unnoticed by Kagome.

The miko knew that the young healer had scars all over her body and there was an ugly one on her back. _Could it be?_ Kagome couldn't be left without knowing and so she asked. Rin blushed even more at her question and was only able to answer with a slight nod.

"Aaannnddd?! Did something else happen?" Rin looked toward the priestess but she wasn't seeing her as her mind was far away, in another place and time.

_Night had fallen a short time ago and after two days of travelling without stopping, they settled on a small clearing in the middle of the woods. Rin was sitting, inspecting her wakizashis. She had used Katto many times now, but she hadn't got time to use Iyasu much and she still didn't know how to use the yellow-feathered one._

_Rin took out Iyasu and placed it upon one of her white-colored scars that she had gotten from the spider webs. After some time, she put the blade away and didn't found the scar. She passed her hand over to verify and let out a small cry of joy when she couldn't find the scar. _

_Sesshoumaru heard her cry and stared as Rin pressed her healing sword against some parts of her arms. He was intrigued by the weapon and wanted to know if it couldn't cut as Tenseiga. He was about to ask when Rin cut her small finger, he tried to stop her but she had already done it. He saw her flinched but no blood came out._

_"Hmmm." _

_"What?" Rin looked up at him. She somehow had forgotten he was there._

_"I felt as if it had cut me, but it didn't. Maybe it just inflicts pain? And heals, of course. It doesn't matter to me, I'm more than happy with its healing ability alone."_

_Sesshoumaru extended his hand toward her. "Give it."_

_"What for?" She asked taken aback. Sesshoumaru stared at Rin, who was holding the blade to her chest, protecting it. "I mean, it's just-What are you going to do?"_

_"I'm not going to break it, Rin." He said with exasperation. Rin gave him Iyasu, reluctantly. Sesshoumaru got it and immediately realized its heaviness. He looked at Rin intriguingly. 'How does she handles this?' He thought while cutting into the back of his hand. He felt a sting and applied more pressure. She was right; it inflicted the same pain as cutting but without blood. He returned her the sword and she kept applying it to her scars._

_It didn't take her long to get rid of all the scars on her arms, but Rin knew there were more on her stomach, back, and legs. She stood up to go to a secluded part of the forest so she could heal them. _

_"Where are you going?"_

_"Mmmmm. Well, I have more scars o on my legs so I'm…" She didn't want to explain but he was staring at her. "I need to be alone to do it, heal the scars that is…"_

_"Don't go far." Rin nodded and smile at his concern. Finding a perfect spot not far from their campsite, she held her flashlight in her mouth, pick up the hem of her kimono, and started to heal her wounds._

_Back at the campsite, Sesshoumaru could see from the corned of his eye the light of Rin's strange object. He could hear her kimono falling down and closed his eyes strongly as an image of her body entered his mind. He heard some jostling and opened his eyes expecting to see Rin coming back, but what found was an image of her back as she sat on her clothes; a large red scar that went from her left shoulder till the right curve of her waist was being healed by the blade, but she couldn't reach on the middle. By trying to reach she was letting out soft moans that only helped to increase his arousal at the sight Rin was creating. _

_The young woman knew that if she manage to reach her middle, all her body could be free of the scars and wounds, but it was proving to be impossible. 'I need help,' Rin was thinking, when she felt someone grabbing Iyasu. She let out a gasp and let go of the sword to cover her breasts. Her heart was beating crazily as she felt the cold blade being pressed against her back. Rin closed her eyes imagining the clawed hand that was touching her. The blade didn't need to be left that long for it to heal, but his hand stayed on her back for a while. Rin gulped and reclined a little unto it. Iyasu fell, but Sesshoumaru's hand remained. By now, she was breathing rapidly and her flesh felt hot. She was sure all of her skin was red. _

_Her skin was soft and looked creamy under the moonlight. Rin's flashlight had fallen from her mouth and had gone out, but he didn't need it to see her fair skin. The demon didn't know how he had end up kneeling behind the young healer and touching her back, but he wasn't to back down now. He traced the path where the scar had been, watched as her skin fill up with goose bumps and heard her soft moan. And that was what snapped him out of it, he stood up abruptly and turned, but didn't leave. He felt Rin standing up as well and heard as she put her kimono back on. She was the one who walk first back to their campsite, but not without whispering a thank you first. Sesshoumaru saw as she sat down by the fire and let it to Ah-Un to watch over her for some time. He couldn't go back just yet._

_Rin knew he wasn't coming yet and decided to go to sleep, but sleep didn't come. She had too many questions. By the time the youkai came back, the moon was up in the middle of the sky and the fire was burning low. She heard him sat next to her and could almost feel the heat coming from his leg. Rin sat up, turned and looked at him. His silver hair was flowing with the light breeze, his skin looked even whiter in the moonlight, and his golden eyes had a strange look on them. Rin looked up at the moon, took a long breath, and asked her question. _

_"Do you… do you care for me?"_

_"…" Sesshoumaru watched her gazing at the moon as his father's last words to him enter his mind. 'Do you have someone to protect?' He learnt the answer many years ago, when Rin herself was only a child. He had to protect her, then. But now? He had seen she was more than capable of protecting herself. 'That is not entirely true, she needs protection. She is no longer defend less, though.' He also realized she was asking for care, not protection. He knew it was different, but didn't know how very well. _

_Rin was waiting patiently for his answer, but seeing as he wasn't going to any time soon she lowered her head. He was gazing at her, but somehow unseeing. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" _

_He snapped back to reality, leaving behind the memories of times when Rin was in danger. "Don't."_

_"Wha-what? Don't what?" He just stared at her. "Your name?" She asked so low he had trouble hearing her, but he nod all the same. Rin got the movement and opened her eyes in wonder. "I mustn't call you Sesshoumaru-sama again?" He nodded a second time. Rin knew she had called him by his name alone a few times and that he hadn't said a thing was a sign, but she still was surprised. "Alright, then. But I still want an answer, please." _

_Sesshoumaru scowled at her. "Don't you know?"_

_"Yes." The inuyoukai glared at her and Rin couldn't stop her smirk from escaping._

_ "Then?"_

_Rin inclined her head to the side a bit and gazed into his eyes. 'I think he doesn't know. Should I tell him?' She bit her lower lip. "I…I believe…" She took a deep breath and started again. "You are not…mmm very good with words. So I'll just tell what I believe from well, our…experiences? Yes, experiences." Rin saw Sesshoumaru's confused look and laugh a little. "I guess I'm not very good at this also." 'But I must tell him how I feel! I just can't keep going like this! Ever since we reunited something change. We almost kiss and what happened just now is a very clear sign. Yes, Rin, you can do this! "Since I was little and you brought me from death and helped me overcome my muteness, I saw you as my savior. But after so many years, that first time I saw you, something changed and had been changing ever since. You've saved me more than one time since then, but I just… don't see you as my savior anymore. At least, not only as that…" She took a breath and looked toward the forest. "I do believe y you c care for for me. I just don't know if you still see me as your ward or…more?"_

_Well, that was easy. Of course, not. A ward implied that she was dependent of him and she had proved to be able to sustained herself. "An active member of my castle can't be my ward." _

_"Ok, yes. But do you see me as such?"_

_"…No."_

_"Then, what am I to you?"_

_'What is Rin to me?' He didn't like this conversation one bit and was thinking that he never should have helped her with the blade. 'Although, I think her questions come from me touching her rather than helping her. Did she dislike it?' Again he was forced to remember the times they've been together since reuniting and his mind was full of moments while traveling. 'A companion. A traveling companion.' _

_"Sesshoumaru-sa. Sesshoumaru, please?"_

_"You're being impertinent."_

_"And I'll continue being impertinent until you answer."_

_"Then you'll become pestering."_

_"Yes, I will."_

_"Do not mock me."_

_"I won't fall in your trap, Sesshoumaru. Don't try to change the subject."_

_"Hmph." _

_"What am I to you? A subordinate, another member of the Table of Seven, a fighter in your castle, the healing girl, your child's babysitter at times, a companion, an acquaintance, a friend…" She saw his eyebrows twitched when she mention one of the last. 'A friend?' Rin felt him stood up. "I just follow you, you know?"_

_"Hn. Just try." He took flight, but Rin got hold of his mokomoko. By her scream he realized what she had done, but they were already too up and she was falling down._

_Rin didn't realize that his mokomoko could be so slippery and she was having trouble holding unto it. _

_"Rin! Stupid girl! If you fall don't come-_

_"Just put me down! I'm-" _

_"Don't interrupt me!" He growled. _

_"Alright, alright! Just put-shit! Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh-hmpf!" She had fallen but as always he had saved her. Rin buried his face in the crook of his neck and he could feel her rapid breaths and her beating heart. He was extremely angry with her, but he could not let her die or even be harm. "I'm so so sor sorry." She managed to say within sobs._

_"…just…let me… think about it." Rin turned up her head and looked at him. They were inches apart again, but now no one was going to interrupt them. She closed her eyes and kissed him._

_Sesshoumaru was confused when she closed her eyes, he wanted to stare at those maroon eyes of hers, but when he felt her lips on his cheek, his confusion was replaced by…excitement; as that was the only word his mind could come up with to describe the strange beating of his heart and the even stranger feeling in his stomach. _

_"It's all right. I'm more than happy to accompany you. But…if ever you need… advice or something, count me as your friend. Ok?" He took a hand from her waist, at which she let out another shriek, but she was safe. Sesshoumaru moved away the hair from her left cheek and left there his hand._

_"That's what you are." _

_"… You're friend?"_

_"Hmm." He answered and put his forehead against hers. The youkai still felt anger toward her insolence, but he was relishing their closeness. _

_The wind blew strongly, making their hair fly around, as the silver-haired male caught the dark-haired woman's lips in a soft and short kiss. _

"Whhhaaaaaatttt! He did?! Sesshoumaru! Not you?!" Kagome asked excitedly.

"Sshhhh! I don't want everyone to know!" Rin said in a whisper. "Yes, he did." She answered with a deep blush on her face.

"And, then what?"

"Then he put me down and I went to sleep, we have to travel all the way here, after all."

"What? But for the next two days, nothing happened?"

"Well no, we kept traveling without stopping."

"And the next morning, nothing?"

"Umm, no. Why, do you think I should have kiss him?" She asked shyly.

"Oh, Rin! Well of course! Now, you're back where you started!"

"Oh no, I'm not! Something changed. I now know… that I'm in love with him."

**A/N: Hello! This was one of the hardest chapters to write, I kept deleting and retyping, but I'm happy with the result! Thank you for reading and reviews are very welcome!**

**Xoxo**

**Pritxka.**


	14. Chapter 14

**14) Chapter fourteen: Enters Kassai.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters. **

"Wake up silly girl! You're keeping everyone wai-hmpf!"

"Don't call Rin silly girl!" Ren demanded after hitting Jaken in the head.

Rin awoke groggily expecting to see the sun coming up, but it was some good hours away from sunrise. "Are we travelling by night?"

"Well, of course! The sooner Sesshoumaru-sama finds the barrier, the better!" Explained Jaken in his annoying voice.

"You make a horrible alarm, Jaken-sama." Rin picked up her sleeping bag and helped Ren with his. Looking around, she saw that everyone was stretching and getting ready for the journey. _No time for breakfast, I guess._ She pulled at Ah-Un's reins, pick up Ren, and sat him on the dragon demon. "You'll travel with Ah-Un, is it ok?" The little kid nodded happily and stroked both of the demon's heads.

"Rin, I hope you sleep well?" Her sensei asked kindly.

"Yes, thank you. Where are we going?"

"Actually, that is up to the little man behind you." Rin turned looking quizzically at Ren who smiled at her proudly. "We're following an evil aura he perceived."

"It's horrible, Rin. She's even worse than that snake demon."

"Oh? You know it's a woman?"

"Mmm, well no. It must be the barrier and that I'm surrounded by demons don't help either, but I have a…feeling that it's a girl. An inklit, mom said."

"It's an inkling, Ren." She said kindly to the now blushing boy. "Ok then, after you!" Ren closed his eyes and concentrated on the purplish aura he had being perceiving since entering the forest. _To the left._

Rin saw his hand pointing east of where they were and pulled Ah-Un toward the nearest path in that direction, the rest of the group followed. Kagome sat behind her son and InuYasha walked beside them. Rin taught Kagome and Ren how to guide Ah-Un and let go of the reins. Sesshoumaru was walking a short distance in front of them, reading some scrolls Daichikutsu had giving him.

"Hello Rin-sama! You got us all worried when we couldn't find you back in the castle." One of the soldiers said. "Where were you, if may I ask?"

"At Toutousai's, asking him for a weapon." She answered politely.

"Yes, I notice the three wakizashis in your hip. Did he made them from fangs?"

"No, demon bones."

"Oh, what dem-"

"Rin."

"Excuse me." She said to the soldier and got ahead of the group, toward Sesshoumaru. "Yes?"

"Don't tell everyone about your swords."

"Why not? I already told Kagome-chan."

"You're too trusting."

"You don't trust your soldiers?" She asked in a hush.

"I trust no one." Rin gazed at him and Sesshoumaru understood her silent question. "With some exception, but they are few."

"You didn't tell Hosshimaru-sama that we were leaving the castle." He didn't answer and kept looking ahead. "Who am I allow to tell?"

"Who you trust."

"But I'm too trusting… Ok, I guess I'll only tell Kagome-chan for now and only if Hosshimaru-sama or Daichikutsu-sensei asked I'll tell them. Although, everyone will find out about their powers when I use them, so it's useless to keep it a secret. By the way, why didn't Hosshimaru-sama come?"

"She hates travelling."

"Yes I know, but she came the last time…"

"Because of the fire."

"Ohhh, right. And I suppose someone has to take care of the affairs at the castle and watch over Takahiro." Rin looked down and, by the light of her torch, saw three gardenias. "Sesshoumaru? When I was…asleep, did you mention something about a gardenia? I remember something about an everlasting gardenia but I don't know if I was dreaming it or…"

"It's in the castle." He had forgotten about it and that he intended to give to Rin on her birthday. "You'll have it when-

"STOP!" Ren yelled but it was too late as three dragons came out of nowhere and attacked the pair.

One of the dragons threw a wall of fire at the group, separating Sesshoumaru and Rin from the others. The fire surrounded them and Rin was already coughing because of the smoke. She felt an arm around her waist and her feet leaving the ground, relishing the fresh air that hit her face. Unfortunately, two of the demons flew after them, attacking viciously without a second thought.

Sesshoumaru had Bakusaiga already out but without being heated it was useless and he couldn't go so near the shots of fire without hurting himself and the girl in his right arm, so he was left to dodge. In the mean time, Rin was about to unsheathe Katto when she felt a pulse from her third sword.

"Kassai." She whispered and the white blade turned orange, then red, and finally blue. Actually there was no longer a blade, but flames very much like those the dragons were shooting at them.

Sesshoumaru watched as the yellow-feather blade absorbed some of the demon's fire and didn't think twice to clash his sword against it. With the now heated Bakusaiga, he could fight back.

Rin felt another pulse, this time from Katto and drew it out. She was amazed about Kassai's ability and was even more shocked when both blades fused. Now she had in her hand a pure white blade surrounded by blue flames and strangely, the handle was cool to the touch. Trusting Sesshoumaru to not let her drop, she tried her best to injure their enemies but it proved difficult in her position. Thinking quickly, she hooked her left leg around his right, but for her plan to work he had to let go of her for a moment so she could hooked her arm around his too. "Sesshoumaru! Let go of me! Just for a moment, I have a plan! We can't battle like this!" He kept dodging and scratching the dragons while she had managed to cut part of the wing of one, but it only infuriated the beast more. "Sesshoumaru!"

"Don't."

"Trust me!" He looked at her for a second before returning to the battle and loosening his arm a little, just to grab her again with even more force. The demons weren't stupid; they knew that if she fell they could have it more easily. Two against one. Although, they couldn't know that his wrath could be enormous if that were to happen. One of the dragons flew behind them and its tail missed their heads by mere inches now they have one dragon in each side. _Damn it! Like this my plan won't work!_ "Ok, then…" She tried with all her force to get his hand away and managed it, falling down. Rin grabbed unto his leg with her left harm while cutting the legs of the demon at their front. She felt the claws of the other cutting at her back and let out an agonized scream.

"Rin! What the hell are you doing?!" He growled, normally he never badmouthed but with her almost within his legs and her scream, he couldn't think properly. It was a good thing that the dragon at the front was flying badly because of Rin's injuries. He felt as she somehow turned and climbed up, using his body as leverage. Now she was facing the other demon with her right arm and leg hooked around his.

"Da damn! I I forgot I'm n not left-handed…" Her voice sounded hoarse and it was becoming painful to breath with the injuries in her back. Even though, she tried her best and managed to cut all of the left wing of the demon, therefor it went down, falling with a loud 'tud'.

Sesshoumaru watched as the dragon fell down and couldn't believe she had managed to get rid of one of the demons all by herself and first than him. _And with those injuries. _He thought when he saw the bleeding cuts in her back. Sesshoumaru felt her loosing her grasp on him and in a blink of an eye grabbed her by the waist again. He watched as her swords separate and she sheathed them, just before falling unconscious on his arm. He had to finish this quickly and with a growled of 'die' he cut through the demon's head. It's head fall and its body stayed floating for a while before falling down too. Sesshoumaru didn't stay to watch and flew a few feet away of the bodies toward a place where he could rest Rin.

He held her bridal style but with her back facing him, while cleaning a spot in the ground to settled her. Ripping the last of her kimono, he cleaned some of the blood with a piece of it and took Iyasu. Sesshoumaru pressed the blade unto the three big, deep scratches and watched as they closed leaving behind not even a scar. But Rin still didn't wake. He turned around looking for the miko; just to remember that they had flown far away of the group. He could catch the annoying scent of his brother and could just trust him to take care of the situation for now.

"Uggghhh." Rin felt as though she had hit a rock with her back.

"Rin." She heard Sesshoumaru calling her, but it was as though he was far, far away.

"The the dr drag-"

"Got rid of them."

"…Always rescuing me."

"It was the other way around this time." She tried to get up, but felt a breeze on her back and remembered that her kimono was ripped because of the dragon. Grabbing what was left of it to conceal her front, she sat up slowly.

"You healed me." She said, looking at Iyasu in the ground next to her full of blood. "And brought me here and stopped me from falling down and of being consumed by the fire and-" He put a finger to her lips.

"You killed one of the demons and injured the other, killing it was easy." Sesshoumaru explained, his voice hoarse. His finger traced the contour of her lower lip and was followed by his hand, which he placed on the side of her face. "You were very stupid. You could have fallen."

Rin leaned in and, holding her kimono with one hand, used the other to brush away some hairs from his face, leaving her hand there. "I trust you." She whispered before closing the distance between them and kissing his lips softly. She was shy at first, but when he kissed her back and put his hand on the small of back, deepening the kiss, her shyness was replaced by pure happiness. As their sweet kiss developed into something more passionate, Rin forgot about her kimono and put her other hand on his hair. His hand travelled from her back, to her nape, and then into her hair. He turned her head a bit up and let go of her lips so she could breathe, but kept kissing her neck and exposed shoulder. Rin let out small moans and gasped when he pushed her into the ground. His lips sealed on hers again.

"That's her aura! This way!" Sesshoumaru heard Ren said at the distance and growled. He sat up and gazed at a bare-chested and highly aroused Rin. And he was very aroused too. _Damn it._

"Wha-what is it?"

"The others are coming."

"Oh." Rin sat as well and managed to knot the upper part of her kimono around her breasts. Her cheeks were flushed and her back full of dirt and leaves. She cleaned herself some and Sesshoumaru finished cleaning her. "Thank you." She was feeling shy again.

"I should have flown farther away." Rin's shocked expression turned to a smiling one at his retort. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Yes, you should have." She whispered and he was about to deepen their kiss, but faraway screams stopped him. "What?" He didn't answer and grabbed her by the waist again, flying incredibly fast toward the group.

"Well, well, well, fancy you show up!" A purple haired demoness with next to nothing of clothing said. "Very clever indeed, Sesshoumaru. Having this kid to find my barrier, such a pity that I have to kill him, he could be helpful."

"Let me go!" Ren screamed panicky, who was being hold by the purple-haired demoness; she put a knife to his neck managing to shut him up.

"Let go if him, now!" Kagome and Rin exclaimed, both with their bows out and with an arrow pointing toward the woman.

"Really, now. It seems to me I have the upper hand here, so put down those bows or we'll see how red his blood is." Both women lowered their weapons. "Good girls! Now, where was I? Oh, yes! The clever plan! Well, it turned out on you, Sesshoumaru. You see, I have full control of this barrier. I let those three weaklings get out; it was quite amusing watching you battle them. But it was much more amusing the little act you put up, just moments ago. Such a pity, this kid here interrupted you." She said with amusement on her eyes.

Sesshoumaru and Rin growled at her. She was thinking of any way to get Ren away from her and was coming out with nothing. "What do you want?" She asked.

"Such hostility! First, let me present myself. My name is Haruka, princess of the east. And if you're wondering why you don't know of me, let me tell you that my father kept me as his most treasured secret, that until I killed him of course." Seeing the shocked expressions on many of them, Haruka laughed. "Yes my dear father, Yoshirou, is dead. Actually, he had been for four years now. I am the lady of the east and soon will become lady of the west and south as well!" She laughed hysterically and Rin flinched involuntarily. "That answers your question, right dear…? Excuse me, what is your name?"

Rin stayed silent for a while until Haruka put pressure unto her knife. "R-" She halted as she felt a clawed hand on her back. "Emi."

"All right, dear Emi, come forward, please." She was about to move, but Sesshoumaru had taken her hand. "Oh my! You're very protective of your property, are you not? So amusing! Sesshoumaru, you can find yourself a more beautiful mate! Let go of the silly girl." But he did not and even grabbed Rin with more force. "Let her go or the kid dies." She said menacingly.

"Sesshoumaru, trust me." She whispered so low only he could hear her. "I have a plan." She mouthed.

**A/N: Thank you for reading and reviews are very welcome!**

**Xoxo, Pritxka**


	15. Chapter 15

**15) Chapter fifteen: D-Day.**

**Disclaimer: I don't InuYasha or any of its characters. **

_Trust me. Trust me._ The phrase kept repeating in his mind while Rin pleaded with her deep brown eyes. She squeezed his hand before pulling it away from his grasp, Sesshoumaru went to grab her again but she jumped out of her grasp to fall a few inches away of Haruka and Ren. With a speed incredible even for a human, she turned and plunged one of her wakizashis on both bodies. They screamed in agony and Kagome lunched at the three.

As if in slow motion, Sesshoumaru watched as Rin drew out Iyasu while the miko pushed her out of the way, and Haruka cut Ren's neck. The three women, now drenched in the boy's blood screamed out of agony and fury while out of nowhere hundreds of demons attacked in their human and dragon forms. Hell had broken loose.

Sesshoumaru disposed of the ones coming toward him quickly and advanced toward the three women. InuYasha was holding a hysterical Kagome while Rin battled with her so she could heal the lifeless boy with Iyasu. She had forgotten about Haruka and the daiyoukai watched as the purple-haired demoness grabbed Rin by the hair and was about to cut her throat out, when InuYasha punched her in the face. Now, he was busy battling the woman that seemed to disappear in thin air only to reappear behind the hanyou. Rin and the miko were still arguing over the boy's body, till the healing girl knocked out the priestess. It was thanks to Sesshoumaru that no demon had gotten near them, but he knew soon Rin would have to take his place.

"Sessh-" She hadn't even finished calling to him when he was with Tenseiga in his left hand, but he needed a bit of time to concentrate on Ren's body.

"Rin!"

"I'm on it!" She had taken his place and with Katto and Kassai maintained the demons at by. Not even a minute had passed when she heard Ren's cries.

Hearing her little boy's cries, Kagome awoke and crawled to him. She hugged him tightly and looked up to thank Sesshoumaru, but he was already busy with three demons. The priestess looked for an injury in his neck, but found nothing.

"Get out of here! Grabbed Ah-Un and go!" Rin yelled at her; without second thoughts she did as told and mounted the dragon who kept the demons away with his fire. She put up a barrier around them and searched for InuYasha. He was battling with what appeared to be thin air.

"Dammit! Stop hiding, you coward!" He screamed while his mind kept throwing images of his lifeless son.

"Dad! Behind you!" InuYasha turned at high speed at Ren's called and managed to cut through something. Now, it was easier for him to 'see' where the demoness was as blood was pulling in the ground.

"InuYasha, we leaving!" Kagome called while shooting arrows to as many demons as she could.

"Get outta here!" He yelled at them, managing to strike Haruka again. Kagome and Ren disappeared in a blink of an eye as her strongest barrier was put around them. Mother and son flew away of the hell behind them, trusting InuYasha to protect himself. "Listen Ren, I'm drooping you at mums. I hope we can get there by tonight. You stayed with your sister, did you hear me? Do not come to the feudal era." Ren nodded. "Promise me."

"I promise, mom." She kissed his head and commanded Ah-Un to fly as fast as he could. "You're coming back, right?"

"I have to. If the battle is still on, I'll help and if it had ended I have to help the injured."

"What happened to me, mom?" Kagome's eyes filled with tears again. "I died, right?"

"Oh, Ren!" The priestess hugged her son again and kept flying in that position the rest of the journey.

Meanwhile, at the battlefield the west was having trouble in defeating the east. Every westerner was fighting three easterners and it seemed as more and more dragons were appearing. InuYasha was still battling a, apparently healed, Haruka and he couldn't use the full force of Tessaiga without killing west soldiers. Rin, who have not received one injury thanks to the fire of Kassai, was well aware of this and come up with a plan, but she needed help and for that she had to tell someone, but if she explained it aloud, it could be useless.

_Daichikutsu! _Rin concentrated on her sensei, trying to call him to her mind as he had taught her.

_I'm busy._

_We are going nowhere. We need something to negotiate with and that is Haruka!_

_No need to negotiate. Haven't you realized Rin? The way they're fighting is as if they don't mind at all getting kill. They're like puppets._

_She's controlling them?_

_I think so._

_So if we killed her…_

_The battle ends. The problem is catching her. _

Rin didn't pay attention to his warnings and, getting rid of the demons on her way without killing them, went toward InuYasha. She pushed him out of the way and the fight between Rin and Haruka started. She concentrated on dodging her blows the best she could by looking at the footprints on her ground. To make her work easier she drew the demoness into a spiral motion, so that her movements became predictable. Rin planned to enrapture Haruka and trapped her between the trees.

When the girl back hit the tree behind her, Haruka knew this was her opportunity to get rid of the nuisance. But even before she could pierce her with the blade in her hand, the girl drop to her knees and extended her leg trying to make her fall, but Haruka jumped out of the way, smirking at the stupidity of the other woman. That, until she realized that now she was trapped between the tree and the girl.

Before Haruka could get away, Rin set a ring of fire around her and the tree. The demoness power to hid herself dropped and she was able to see the panic expression on her face.

"InuYasha! Now!" Rin yelled at the hanyou while getting out of the way.

"Meidou Zangetsuha!" The black Tessaiga disposed of the screaming demoness and all around them the soldiers of the east looked baffled, while many of the west soldiers took advantage of it and made the killing blow.

"STOOOOPPPP!" Rin commanded them, but it was too late. The easterners attacked back and the fights started again. "No! Stop now! There's no need-Ouu!" In trying to stop the battle, she got distracted and someone cut through her right shoulder.

"Rin!" InuYasha yelled watching the young woman falling to the ground with her arm almost turn of her body.

Sesshoumaru turned toward his brother's voice and ran toward the bleeding mess that Rin was becoming. He dropped to his knees and search for the healing wakizashi without success. The daiyoukai turned a piece of his kimono and tried to stop the bleeding. Many of his soldiers had stopped their fights watching helplessly as the healing girl succumbed to death. "Look for a wakizashi with green feathers, now!" He commanded. "Rin. You can't die. I can't bring you back." Her chocolate orbs gazed at him; he strengthened his hold on her and lowered his head towards hers. "Do not leave me." He whispered. "Rin, don't die." Sesshoumaru kissed her lips strongly. "Ple-please, Rin."

"Se-seshou…maru."

_No, no, no, no, no, no, noo. _He thought agonized. "Find it, now!" He growled.

"Found it!" Someone yelled from afar. Sesshoumaru flew toward him with Rin in his arms and settled her gently on the ground. By now, even the easterners had stopped their fighting and everyone saw as the lord of the east pressed the blade of the sword into the woman's injury. It healed slowly leaving behind nothing, not even a scar.

"Rin?" Sesshoumaru checked her pulse and found none. "Riiinnn!"

"Outta way!" InuYasha pushed him without success. "I may save her!" At that the youkai lord got away a bit. The half-demon pounded on the girl's chest at a specific interval.

_After saying his name, Rin saw nothing but black. She was in someplace complete dark and didn't know where was up and where was down. She felt in limbo. Suddenly, a light appeared to her right and she was about to go there when someone stopped her. _

_"Wait." A woman said while holding her hand. By the light, she was able to discern who was stopping her._

_"Ka-Kagura?"_

_"I don't use that name anymore. I'm Meifeng now."_

_"Chinese for beautiful wind."_

_"Sesshoumaru said the same. You two are very similar. Even with your differences."_

_Rin omitted the contradictory sentence and asked for her whereabouts. "I can't tell you that." The young woman was about to ask why, but was interrupted by the wind demoness. "I can tell you this. Your body died, but par of your soul is still attached to it. Now, you have to choose between becoming a wandering soul or reincarnation."_

_"What?! I-I can't go back?"_

_"Oh right! Or you can go with your family."_

_"My my family? No, I want to go back to Sesshoumaru."_

_"So, reincarnation it is?"_

_"No, I want to go back now!"_

_"That is not a choice. He's a demon. He'll be alive by the time to reincarnate."_

_"You can't be sure and I want to be with him now!"_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I love him!"_

_"Mmmm, no."_

_"What?! Of course I do!"_

_"Oh, yes you do. But that not a good reason enough. _

_"So, if I give a good reason you let me go?"_

_"I'm not the one holding you here." A long silence stretched. Rin thought hard on what to say and Meifeng fanned herself. _

_"I am the one holding me here?" The demoness nodded. "Why?"_

_"How could I know? I can't read your heart."_

_"My heart? That's what holding me here?"_

_"Mmm, not exactly. I dare say it's a feeling in your heart."_

_"Then, it must be a feeling toward myself."_

_"Yes, maybe even a…wish."_

_'A wish? What wish could be able to keep me here?' Rin thought hardly, but got distracted when a large mirror appeared beside her. She gasped at the reflection on the mirror. It was she, but she looked different. It was a taller Rin, with very white skin, long silver hair, pointed ears, and golden eyes. It was a Rin demoness. 'But I don't wish to be a demoness.' She thought._

_"Not a demoness, no. But something similar, in your eyes."_

_"You can read my mind?" Meifeng nodded with a bored expression._

_'The Rin on the mirror looks a lot like Sesshoumaru. What is Sesshoumaru, then? A demon, a lord, an excellent warrior, a very handsome man, caring, loyal. Hell, he's perfect.' _

_"Perfect, indeed. Such pity I died, I may have ended in your position."_

_"Wait, a wish! That's it! I'll always wish to be perfect for him! Then, I wish not to be!" _

_"It's not that simple. You must __wish__ for it."_

_Rin concentrated on her image on the mirror and tried with all her might to change it back to her real form. 'I know he cares for me as I am. He had saved me many times. He kissed me. He asked me not to leave him. He __pleaded__ not to leave him! He said I'm not and never was a burden to him.' Periodically the image on the mirror took her form, but it wasn't wearing her turned kimono. The mirror Rin was wearing a white kimono, with purple sleeves and gardenia flowers on them, her obi was also purple with the gardenia design, her sandals were black, her hair was falling down till below her waist, and around her neck, resting on her chest, was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It had a very thin silver chain and holding from it was a gardenia flower that shone brightly._

_"Oh my! An everlasting flower! They are quite rare, you know." Rin was mesmerized by the image and smiled proudly at her. The mirror Rin copied her smile and mouthed something that Rin was sure said 'Perfect.' Suddenly, she felt her heart pounding too strongly, almost painfully._

_"Wha-what?"_

_"It was nice seeing you. Say hello to Sesshoumaru from me."_

_"Than-thank y you." Rin managed between pants._

_"No problem." _

"Dammit! Rin! Wake up!" InuYasha yelled. "Ri-" He stopped midsentence when he felt a pulse beneath his hand. The hanyou stood up and Sesshoumaru took his position in a second.

"Rin?"

"Ugh-Why I keep dying?" InuYasha couldn't stop his laugh from getting out at the strange question. "Why my chest hurts?"

"Umm, well…" Rin opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see Meifeng.

"Where's Meifeng?"

"Who?" Many asked, still amazed at the miracle that happened in front of their very eyes. Rin looked all around and saw all the soldiers, from west and east, looking toward her. Sesshoumaru was kneeling by her head, his eyes the softest she ever seen them.

"Oh! She was only there. Meifeng send her greeting to you." Rin said while sitting up.

"Don't move too quickly, Rin!" Daichikutsu said worried.

"I'm fine! I feel…perfect." She said with a big smile on her face looking at the people around her. Sesshoumaru took her chin and moved her face toward his, kissing her smiling lips tenderly for a second. Almost everyone let out sounds of surprise at seeing the cold lord of the west kissing the young woman.

"Mmm, excuse me for interrupting, but can any of you please tell us what happened and where are we?" One of the generals from the east asked timidly.

**A/N: First of all, I wish to clarify something about Meifeng. She is Kagura, but her personality is different. I made her behave more like in the manga, at the end of her life. **

**Thank you for reading and don't forget to leave a review! I may even post the next chapter before Friday, depending on the amount of reviews :)**

**Xoxo**

**Pritxka.**


	16. Chapter 16

**16) Chapter sixteen: The puppet master and coming home.**

"Surrender your weapons first." Daichikutsu ordered. The general who had asked for their whereabouts signaled his companions to put down their swords and the remaining dragons turned to their human shapes. At Sesshoumaru's nod the soldiers of the west sheathed their weapons. "It seemed you all were under the control of the woman who calls herself Haruka…"

"Who?" The east general asked.

"You don't know the bitch?!" InuYasha growled.

"I think it's best if we treat the injured first and then explain what happened." Rin said in a low voice, she was having trouble breathing and was standing up only because Sesshoumaru was supporting much of her weight.

"Aye, my men and I need some rest." The general said, looking at the few soldiers left. _I can't trust these people; they could do us in while we sleep. _"But, more than half my men are dead at your hands, how can we rest-"

"We wont' attack, there's no need for that now." Daichikutsu explained.

"How can we trust them?! How do we know this is not some con to get us all killed?" The soldier's remark was follow by many more like this and by angry retorts from the easterners.

Rin was very tired and understood their distrust, but she needed to tend to her and everyone's injuries. "What sort of demon was Haruka?"

"Who is this Haruka you keep mentioning, as you see there is no woman in my ranks." The general answered with disgust.

"You don't know her?! It can't be!"

"She must be a sorceress!"

"She was no dragon! That's for sure."

Everyone talked at once making Rin's headache scaled to migraine proportions. "I need to rest." She complained very low and Sesshoumaru tighten his hold on her. He was about to ordered everyone to shut their mouths when Daichikutsu did it.

"Haruka is dead and she confessed to kill your lord. She had you all under her control, like you were puppets." The eagle demon explained. All the soldiers from the east started whispering, at first it was unintelligible, till one close enough said, "The puppet master, is true."

"The puppet master? That's only a legend." Rin's tutor said in a dismissive tone.

"I believed it so too, but for these past decade the lord had been behaving not like himself and the rumors started again. Of the puppet master." The general explained.

"What's the puppet master?" Rin asked.

"He or she is believe to be a very powerful demon who practices sorcery and has the ability to control the minds of people, make them what he or she wants without them knowing." He looked around and tried to remember how he came to be in Aokigahara with all his soldiers, he couldn't even remember when he got the cut on his right leg.

"I'm sure you don't remember anything from the past days. It seems that when someone is under the control of… the puppet master, they lose their memories." The silver-eyed demon remarked.

"So it's true, it exists and we where victims." A soldier said, making all others shout in fear or indignation. "Where is it?!"

"Where she belongs! That damned bitch is dead!" InuYasha retorted angrily, while Daichikutsu pondered their future. If Haruka was the puppet master and she was controlling the lord of the east and then murdered him, then in which state were the east territories?

"What's become of Yoshirou?" The eagle-demon asked.

"The lordship? Must be in his castle, he never engages in battle." One soldier answered.

"You said…you said, he's dead?! The puppeteer killed him?! You said it!" The east general yelled.

"That's what Haruka or the puppeteer said, he assassinated Yoshirou. Which makes me believe that now the lord is his oldest son, Ichirou."

"How will I know?!" The general exclaimed. "This is madness!" The demon tugged at his long black braid, letting out an angered cry.

"Let's find a place to rest and then we can discuss this matter properly." Daichikutsu turned toward Rin and transformed into his true form, an enormous white eagle with scales instead of feathers and three eyes in its head. _Hold on my neck, carefully. _He winked at Rin and she, with helped, got on top of the demon. _The rest may follow._ His voice, or rather his thought, resounded on every soldier and general and without further instruction the eagle demon took to the sky.

"Gooooodddddssss! Slow down! I'm going to fall!" Rin yelled.

_Shut your mouth if you wish not to choke on a fly._

_I'd much ratter gone with Sesshoumaru!_

_Of course you had, but I prefer it if the east stay ignorant to your relationship._

_They saw me with him! It's useless!_

_I believe not._

_What-aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! _"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Stop, stop, stop, stop, stoooppp. STOP!"

"And stop, we had. No need to yell, really Rin." Daichikutsu, now in human form with Rin still holding from his neck, said. She dropped down, breathing heavily.

"I almost died! You could kill me! Are you out of your mind?!" The demon laughed a bit and turned expectantly toward their party, who was coming from the trees. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, yes it is. Are you still terribly tired?"

"…No."

"Adrenaline is the best cure to near dead experiences, I believe."

"You believe a lot of things." She said between her lips.

"I heard that."

"I _know._"

Sesshoumaru was the first to emerge from the trees; he saw Rin sitting on the grass looking angrily at Daichikutsu who was ignoring her and had a small smile on his face. Sometimes he was as strange and infuriating as Hosshimaru. Rin turned to see him and her angry face changed to one happy smile, but it fall almost immediately.

"Oh, no." She stood up and went to help the many injured that were being brought. "Here, lay them all down here." The healing girl started treating the burned ones, passing from soldier to soldier and forgetting about her wounds or tiredness. By time she ended with all the injured, the night had came and her body and mind were exhausted. While she treated the injured, Sesshoumaru and Daichikutsu talked with the general of the east, Masaru. She wanted to know what was the new plan of action and where will they be going now, but was too tired. Rin went looking for a stream and found another hot one, not too far from the camp but far enough that she felt safe to bath naked, after all she was the only female in the group now. Submerged completely in the small pond, she couldn't hear the approaching demon.

Letting out a deep sigh, Rin came out of the water. Her black hair was cascading down her back and she started combing it with her fingers, emitting small cries every time she encountered a knot. Humming to herself, the petite woman washed her aching body with a flower-scented oil, obvious to the demon sitting by the sakura tree, until said demon let out a low growl.

"Ah! Sesshoumaru-sam- Sesshoumaru! Y Y You s scared me!" Rin said concealing her body with her hands and the water and blushing from head to toe, until she remembered that he had seen her bare chested only hours ago. Doing something she never thought herself possible, the fairy-like woman came out of the water and stood in front of her love. His face was as stoic as ever and he remained in the same sitting position, but his eyes like gold were ringed in a bit of red and his pupils were bigger than ever. Rin knelt in front of Sesshoumaru and smiled, coming closer and closer by the second, until they were mere inches apart. "Sesshoumaru." Rin said huskily. He took her lips on his and kissed her passionately, his hands were everywhere and hers were in his silver hair. Without knowing when or how, Rin ended with her back on the grass and Sesshoumaru on top of her, kissing her neck, cheeks, shoulders, and lips. She didn't know where she started and he ended and it was the happiest she had ever been. Her hands explored the hard muscles of his bareback and her legs went around his middle, holding him against her body. "Sesshoumaru." She exclaimed within pants and kisses.

"Open your eyes." The lord demon gazed on her chocolate orbs, seeing adoration and such love that he had never understood until now. Rin's face was shinning under the moon's light and her midnight hair was a beautiful contrast to her skin; her lips were rosy and swollen from his kissing.

His silver hair seemed to absorb the light of the moon and his golden eyes were shinning with passion and…"Beautiful." He said huskily, just as their separation was severed at last.

The maiden's exclamation was absorbed by the sound of the rushing water from the stream. And the trees and the flowers, and even the moon, seemed to smile for the couple lying by the sakura tree.

After weeks of travelling Masaru and his soldiers were back in the East accompanied by Daichikutsu and Hosshimaru, the second in command in the great west kingdom, which was to everyone's surprise a female. Masaru was quickly impressed by the demoness abilities and, of course, her beauty. Although he did not miss the angry stares of the general whenever he tried to engage Hosshimaru in any sort of conversation, Masaru was not one to give up easily and so the east general asked the demoness to dance.

"Thank you General Masaru, but I don't dance." Hosshimaru answered. Next to her, Daichikutsu smiled slightly as he knew that his companion liked dancing, quite a lot. _I wonder what he would think of you, if I asked you to dance and you happily comply. _

_And who said I would comply?_

_Ha!_ Daichikutsu took her hand and dragged to one of the private balconies, where he put his hands in her waist, started a slow dance. Hosshimaru looked deep into the eyes of the eagle demon. They were inches apart. Their senses overflowing by finally being in each other arms. "Finally…home," he breathed before capturing her lower lip in between his and pulling gently. Hosshimaru let out a small moan and Daichikutsu took the chance to enter her mouth, exploring with his tongue.

"Yes, finally home," she said. "Now, make me completely yours."

"Happy to comply."

Meanwhile Sesshoumaru and his mate were about to enter the salon. He was wearing his typical clothes, while his partner look astonishing in her red and gold kimono. Everyone stopped their dancing, eating, chatting…breathing to gaze at the couple. That is, until the silence was broke by one single, powerful word.

"Emi." It was more of a whisper and came from the lips of the recently named Lord of the East, Ichirou. "Emi! But, I thought you dead!"

"Oh no," was Rin's only answer. Ichirou ran towards her with an enormous smile on his scarred face. And collided with a strong chest. "Sesshoumaru, let me explain."

"She is not Emi."

"What? But-"

"I am not she. I'm her reincarnation only." She gazed into the troubled eyes of the new lord and smiled a bit. "My name is Rin and I'm Sesshoumaru's mate."

At that, the group took a collective breath, while the dog demon's eyes sparkled with, as many thought, mischief. Rin got the look and smiled flirtingly.

"Mate? But," Ichirou took a deep breath, "but… you're human," he exclaimed while many gasped and smirked. The cold Lord Sesshoumaru brought a mate, a HUMAN mate!

"It's a possibility. We are still investigating that." Rin said nonchalantly. "Now, as much as I would like to bore you all with an explanation I much rather try some of your food." With that, the healing girl walked toward the food tables, ignoring the stares while trying on a bit of everything. In the past four months since the end of the war, she had become accustomed to demon foods, she even to quite like them. Her new taste in foods was one of the reasons Kagome believed both of them were a bit more than human. Or a bit less human, depending on your view of the situation. The theory was that since both women were around demons for long periods of time, they developed stronger bodies and minds. Specially Rin, who was saved from death by the use of demon magic in more then one time. It was a possibility only, but one that made Rin the happiest she had ever been. Of course, a certain lord demon had much to do with her happiness.

After a few hours of eating, chatting, and dancing with some of the guests (the dancing part being only Rin's as Sesshoumaru most definitely did not dance), the lord and his mate retired for the evening. All of them, Daichikutsu, Hosshimaru, Rin, and Sesshoumaru were anxious to firm the pact of peace between the east and the west and head back home, where Ren was waiting anxiously the return of his favorite person.

"You're leaving. Already. We just got back from the east and you're off to travel! You know, your mother won't be happy about this!" Hosshimaru's angry remarks could be heard all the way till Rin's private rooms, where she was packing for hers and Sesshoumaru's new adventure. They still had to come back before the next season when Kohaku would get married and she wouldn't miss her best friends' wedding for anything. When she finished with her satchel, Rin went to save her mate from Hosshimaru's anger. The half-human found them in his library, staring furiously at one another. Daichikutsu was holding a hyper Takahiro, smirking at the pair's antics.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at the beautiful woman who was taking his son from the eagle- demon arms. It still impressed him that when no one was able to control Takahiro she seemed to be an instant tranquilizer.

"It's not for long, Hosshimaru. No need to yell. You're more than capable of running the castle and mother just left in a travel of her own. You can finally have some peace with Daichikutsu. Actually, you should be happy not mad. Do you want me to put him to sleep?" Rin asked looking down at the drowsy toddler. The demoness just nod and taking her mate's hand left the other couple alone. "He looks more and more like you everyday."

"Mhmm." Sesshoumaru put one finger on the baby's forehead while drawing his mate closer to himself.

The war had brought many changes to the lives of the habitants of the east and west lands, but without a doubt the one who changed the most was Sesshoumaru. To an out observant he was the same cold, heartless demon lord, but Rin had found a strong passionate soul in him and it was hers. As much as her soul and heart were his. Many died on the war, but those deaths would always be remembered as the sacrifices that brought upon a time of peace and tranquility; a time of new beginnings. Smiling, Rin remarked that it was time for them to leave and, after kissing a peacefully asleep baby demon, they flew toward their new adventure together, in each other arms where they felt most at home.

-The End-

**A/N: Aaaaaaannnddd it's done! Yes, this is the end. What I wanted most than anything was to make this story beautiful and magical. Mission accomplished, I hope :) I been planing to write a series of one shots set before, during and after this story and with different POVs. Any ideas? **

**Thank you everyone for reading and especially to reviewers. Lots of hugs to you guys!**

**Xoxo**

**Pritxka.**

**P.S. Until the next time…( clue: HP Next Gen, RWxSM :D, still working on it… )**


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